Girls should listen to what they're told
by Gabrielle Orwood
Summary: Two best friends get mixed up with the wrong sort, the miscief-making, joke-playing sort.
1. The end of the end and near the begining

She sat on her bed. It was early morning and she was the only one awake, apart from her owl that was out hunting. She loved this time of the day before everyone's there to interfere. She let her mind wander to everything from going to school in two weeks to the books she had been reading. She finally got into a meditation-like trance until she was "woken up" as she liked to call it, by the owl swooping into the room and landing on the edge of her bed. She loved that owl, and she called him Hero, for he would brave through any storm to get her letters to where se asked him to take them. She stroked his brown feathers and praised him for his hunt and plugged her nose and grabbed hold of the tail of the mouse he brought her and dropped it into the garbage, his yellow eyes looking at her inquisitively as she did so. She picked up the list she had received from Hogwarts and read it over yet another time, not because she forgot what to get but to reminded her that school was coming soon. She would be following in her father's footsteps and become a witch, but of course she had gotten over that astonishment four years ago when she first got her letter. She still liked to remind herself. She loved Hogwarts and couldn't wait to go back. She put the list in her oak dresser drawer and walked downstairs as quietly as she could.  
  
"Dad wat'cha dooin here?" she said in astonishment as she looked at a gray haired man with a long gray business-y looking cloak on. "Going to work?"  
  
"Yes and you're coming with me remember?" her father said after wiping his partly brown and partly gray mustache off from his morning waking potion.  
  
"Ooooooh yeaaaaaaa. Oops I thought today was Thursday" she said while getting her favorite cereal from the cupboard. It was impossible to keep track of the days when there wasn't any school. In Hogwarts, it was normally written on the board of a classroom, so if anyone needed to know the date they would simply look up from their work at the chalkboard in the front of the room.  
  
Her house was full of muggle things, mainly because her mother was a muggle and her brother, who was a lot like her mother seemed to be a muggle. He hadn't blown up anything when he was younger, unlike Gabrielle. She remembers quite clearly how her mother tried to feed her soup when she was younger and it turning it into chocolate pudding in her mouth. Yes, she felt bad for disobeying her mother but she couldn't help from smiling every time someone talked about it. Her mother didn't like the idea of her being a witch but tried her best to understand how important it was to her. She remembered Her father gleaming with pride when she showed any hint of magic, and didn't delay in sending the school an apology to a muggle school four years ago explaining how she will be attending another school, but really going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
Gabrielle and her father read the daily prophet together, or more like Gabrielle looked for the "good stuff" and her father read the articles on politics. Gabrielle only browsed quickly at an article, and read it curiously, and after reading it thoroughly sighing and thinking to her self that nothing good ever happens.  
  
Soon enough she had finished her cereal and ran upstairs to her room, shoving random things into her green canvas bag, but not forgetting her supply list. She knew she would be in her father's office for a while and its good to come prepared. She put the strap over her head and walked towards her door stopping to see her unkempt blonde hair in the mirror, her mothers voice ran through her head telling her not to look scruffy, but look like a lady and she brushed it, listening to her mother's voice. While she brushed her hair a girl of 14 looked back at her. Her long eyelashes made her bottle-green eyes stand out, and her big lips stood out as well. She was striking, and always stood out, if not her looks it would be her personality. Another thing that made her stand out was the fact that she was wearing witches' clothing. The only thing muggle was her jeans, but her shirt had sleeves that were almost longer than her fingers. She had changed for the trip to her father work. She was also wearing a cloak over the jeans and white long-sleeved shirt. Her cloak was light blue today. She ran down the steps to meet her mother still in her nightgown, and messy dark brown hair making crepes and attempting to teach her brother to do the same. She took a crepe and kissed her mother on the cheek then went over to her brother giving him one and laughed when he made a disgusted face and wiped his cheek. She messed up his short blonde hair and walked toward the living room. Her mother told Gabrielle to fix her pants for the thousandth time (they were too long and had rips at the knees. Just the way Gabrielle liked 'em). She said goodbye and met up with her dad in the living room.  
  
"Have everything you need Gabby?"  
  
"O'course I do" she replied with her playful smile and took a pinch of floo powder and said  
  
"The ministry of magic!"  
  
She hit the cold marble floor with a thud. She still hadn't gotten used to this yet. She heard someone else coming through and quickly rolled out of the way and started to get up from the floor, but fell over when a set of other people came out. Everyone was in a hurry to get to work and didn't pay much attention to the girl sitting on the floor, so she got up and walked of in search of her father. Then a Girl with long black hair and light freckles came out and fell just as she did. Gabrielle recognized her instantly.  
  
"Morgain?? "She asked. The girl looked up.  
  
"Gabby! I came to your house right after you left, I thought I would keep you company" Gabrielle gave the biggest smile that made her little square nose wrinkle up and make her freckles dance; now it wouldn't be so boring. They both walked in search of her father.  
  
"Where were you?" he asked  
  
"I fell getting out of one of the fireplaces, and bumped into Morgain" she said smiling  
  
"We better get going if we want to be out of here early."  
  
They walked through the crowds of people rushing of to work and hurried off to a man who inspects the wands. His name was Earl, and knew Gabrielle by name.  
  
"Haven't seen you in a while Gabby dear" Earl said with a smile, he was wearing a black work robe that she saw many wizards wear. (What did I tell you)  
  
"Yes, what has it been....3 days?" Gabrielle said jokingly while giving her wand to Earl. Earl looked at it quickly and gave it back, moving on to her father's wand, and then he took Morgain's wand.  
  
"Getting your school supplies today. Eh Gabby?"  
  
"Yes I am, and I can't wait" she said Gabrielle waved after saying goodbye. Her, her father and Morgain sped up in a run after they had gotten past earls check, her father was late for being early for a meeting, as Gabby called it. They ran into the lift right before the door closed and waited for them to go to a higher floor and got of after a couple of floors up. Gabrielle's father worked in the transportation office. He let gabby sit at his desk while he got his notes. She liked sitting there, feeling very in charge. She always had a huge grin on her face when she sat at her father's desk, but she would have had an even bigger grin on her face if she was an aouror with her own desk in this building. She had peered inside of the Auror department, and saw a glimpse of how it was in there. She started having fantasies of her being one of them, catching criminals and having the adventures the aurors have.  
  
Right now she was fooling around and talking to Morgain, who had pulled up a chair for herself. Morgain was her closest friend from school, and they had even gone on vacation to France this summer. Her father had taken them because he had a conference there for the Worldwide Magical Transportation Committee. There they got to practice their French and now officially only talked French to each other (to avoid being overheard by others, and it did prove useful).  
  
They went on trips all around France, the Louvre at night, when all the paintings started to move and tell their stories to the people visiting the museum. They also visited the Eiffel tower. The magical towns there they loved as well, and shopped the day away at designer stores. The famous designers there are wizards but sell their clothing to muggles as well.  
  
The time crept by and they were soon interrupted by one of her father colleagues. He was about the same age as Gabrielle's father; he had jet- black hair and knobby knees. He waved to her and Gabrielle waved back,  
  
"Hello Mr. Potter!" she said, and then explained to Morgain how she knew him (in French of course). He was nice, and played exploding snap with Gabrielle once when she was bored out of her mind and he had a lunch break. She always liked him, but his son was another story. Her parents had always wanted her to have a boyfriend and of all people they wanted her to date Mr. Potter's son James. James was the most popular boy in school. He was big headed, arrogant, and ignorant. He never noticed Gabrielle, and she liked it that way. Unfortunately, the Potter family had been close with the Orwoods' since Gabrielle's father had started working wit Mr. Potter, and that was years before she was born. She normally thought up clever ways of avoiding him, and hardly ever saw him.  
  
They both talked for a while longer and were interrupted yet again by Gabrielle's father rushing back from a meeting. He came back with a remorseful look on his face and told Gabrielle that he couldn't take them to Diagon Alley. Gabrielle said it was all right and offered that they could go by their selves, because they've been there thousands of times and could get around pretty well. He gave Gabrielle some money for all her supplies. She left her bag with him, and took the list of supplies, folded it and put it into the back pocket of her jeans and the moneybag in her jacket pocket. She hugged her father goodbye and they went to the lift for the main hall. When they reached it they went back to the now empty row of fireplaces and went to one.  
  
"Diagon Alley!" Gabrielle said, going first.  
  
This time she only staggered, and very proud of herself she stood up straight and brushed of the ash on her, but then Morgain came and hit into her because Gabrielle forgot to move out of the way. They both laughed and stood up, brushing of the dust off their selves yet again. She looked around the Leakey Cauldron.  
  
She saw a group of boys she knew from school in a table by the door in the back. One of them was Mr. Potter's son. She ignored him, knowing he would do the same. Her friends didn't like his lot, and she even doubted they knew her name. They were all popular and very bigheaded. Morgain said hello to a boy named Remeus Lupin. He was the nicest of all of them and said hello as well. She could've sworn she heard the rest of the boys asking Remeus who they both were. They walked out the door and went to a brick wall. Gabrielle tapped a couple of bricks with her wand and the bricks moved to leave an opening that they could walk through without a problem. James looked at the two girls passing by their table in the leaky cauldron. The blonde one was familiar to him, though he didn't know where he could have seen her. A girl with long black hair said hello to Remeus, and as soon as they passed James asked who they were. "Oh that's Gabrielle Orwood, and Morgain Lestrage." Remeus said.  
  
"Oh." James said.  
  
"How do you not know them?" Remeus said. "Gabrielle is in Gryffindor, and she's in our year too!" Remeus said.  
  
"Guess I haven't noticed them." James said, defending himself " Don't go mental over it Lupin." Sirius had been looking out the Leaky Cauldron's window, and Peter wasn't paying the least bit of attention to the conversation.  
  
They both walked into a sea of witches and wizards, and excitement flew through Gabrielle. They started walking around and Gabrielle stopped to look at her list to see what she should buy first. She figured they should get school robes, and asked if Morgain wanted to go get robes first. She walked over to Madame Malkin's Robes for all occasions and stopped to look at the window. It had a couple of moving manikins wearing robes, she liked one to the far right, it was wearing a long white cloak with light golden rims, but she couldn't quite see what was underneath because the jacket was wrapped around the manikin. She walked in, almost bumping into a two girls walking out. They were both girls from Gryffindor, and friends of Gabrielle. There names Were Shannon Collins and Jamie Mclean. Shannon had Light brown, very curly hair, and Jamie had beautiful long black, curly hair and both had far too many freckles to count. They talked to each other for a while, discussing there summer holidays, and then Morgain and Gabrielle proceeded into the store. Madame Malkin walked up to them.  
  
"Hogwarts students?" she asked  
  
"Yes we are" Gabrielle replied  
  
"Then come with me girls". They followed Madame Malkin into another room to be fitted. She measured Morgain first and left for a little while and came back with a set of robes. Then she went on to Gabrielle and fitted her and just like Morgain came back within minutes with a new set of robes for Gabrielle. They left the store after paying, and went to Flourish and Blott's to get their books.  
They carried on with there shopping, getting new quills and ink, and more parchment. They went to the ice cream shop down the street and spent some time talking. For a while they watched people go by, some of them friends of theirs so they screamed hello at the top of their lungs. That way they started some good conversations. Gabrielle took Morgain to the Quidditch shop; just so she could look at the new broom model. Gabrielle loved quidditch; in fact she was keeper on the Gryffindor team. She stared at it for a while until Morgain pulled her away to look at other things in the store. They played with a snitch for a while until the lady at the counter started shooting them looks. They left and walked around for a while and Gabrielle checked the time in the closest store. They had and hour till they had to go back, and that time was spent walking around town looking in through the shop windows. Then they went back to the leaky cauldron.  
  
"The ministry of magic!" Gabriele heard Morgain say before she disappeared in the fire. Then she followed.  
  
"The Ministry of magic!"  
  
she was hurled out onto the marble floor again, with all her packages she stood up again and both her and Morgain walked up to Earl. Then they walked to the lift and got of at her father's floor. They met him at is desk.  
  
"Hello girls. How was the shopping?" he asked looking up form the papers on his desk.  
  
"Alright" she said putting all the packages into her bag. (It was enchanted to fit all this in).  
  
Her father got all his things together and took them to the fireplaces in the lobby. They said goodbye to Morgain as she went home, and Gabrielle went home afterwards. 


	2. ready set

She was in a deep meditation this morning and hero had to nibble on her ear until she would wake up this time. She was really exited. Today she would go back to Hogwarts on the train. She grinned and petted Hero and got up from her bed to change into her favorite t-shirt and jeans that she had laid out on a chair near her trunk. She slipped them on. The shirt was one she made herself. Paris inspired her a lot, and she often had a notebook with her and a quill and she would often sketch out ideas when they struck her. This design she loved. It was a white shirt, and the sleeves were so long that only the tips of her fingers were seen, the end of it ended at the bottom of her hip And it was tight fitted. Her jeans were worn out and a light blue color and rips at the knees. Her green army bag was packed with things for the train ride to Hogwarts and on top of her huge trunk. She let herself fall onto her bed and daydreamed about her first day in school. And was soon called down by her father for breakfast. She ran downstairs and got a bowl of cereal out and sat down watching the television, she didn't like television much but it was something to do.  
  
She heard her father carry down her trunk to the car outside in the front. The car was normally only used by her mother and her little brother and it was messy, but was cleaned within seconds when her father took out his wand (shielding it with his other arm to keep neighbors from seeing it) and muttered a few spells under his breath.  
  
They were on their way to the train station soon after Gabrielle finished eating. She ran up to her room to check if she had everything first. She found one of her favorite necklaces and smiled, glad that she came back to check if she left anything. She put it on and admired it in the mirror it was on a thin gold chain with a pendant made from a stone that changes to match her mood. Right now it was a pearl, but she wasn't sure why. She ran downstairs.  
  
The car was hot so she opened her window in the front seat. She stuck her head out the window so her hair was pushed behind her face, and he necklace dangled from her neck. They had soon arrived at the train station. It was busy, and full of muggles. Gabrielle liked the action that was going on there. As she went to get a cart she watched the people rushing back and forth to get to their train. She helped her father put her trunk on the trolley and took out of his cage Hero and let him sit on her shoulder; holding the empty cage in her hand. People walked by looking curiously at Hero on her shoulder, but she ignored it. When they reached the barrier between platform 9 and 10 she stopped, and looked to see if her father was coming. The ticket said platform 9 ¾, she had to walk right through the brick barrier to get to the Hogwarts express. She took a deep breath and walked casually towards the platform. She walked right through it and was surrounded by Hogwarts students and their parents.  
  
She let Hero go so he could fly ahead of them to the school. She made sure that her trunk was in a lower compartment of the train, to be stored until their arrival at Hogwarts. Then went trough the huge crowed of Hogwarts students and their families looking for friends of hers.  
  
Soon enough she greeted some fellow Gryffindors, whom she was friends with and some people from Morgain's house whom she knew. Her father was greeting his old friends that had children that were going to Hogwarts as well. (Most of witch her father was trying to set her up with because they're "respectable boys" while her mother looked for "normal boys" or muggles) He was talking to the Potters, with their son. His big head was her excuse for not dating him. She shook hands with James politely before she left him for a short while to look for Morgian. She found her humming to herself with a grin that was unmistakably because she was leaving her family. The reason was that Morgain and the rest of her family had different ideas of what was right and wrong. Her family was of pure blood, or pure wizard blood, and they believed that they were better than others because of it. Morgain had a best friend that was half-blood, of blood mixed with muggle blood, but her family didn't know that of course. Otherwise, how were they supposed to spend time together?  
  
Gabrielle walked up to her and greeted her. Morgain told her parents she was going with Gabrielle and said goodbye quickly, not waiting for a reply. They headed back to her father who was still talking to the Potters.  
  
Gabrielle said goodbye soon after and left for the train right before it left the platform. Gabrielle and Morgain walked up the isle in between he compartments looking for a seat. They were all full. They went to the very last one and as soon as Gabrielle saw who was in it she turned around right away, but was pulled back by Morgain.  
  
There were two seats free in their compartment, but to Gabrielle's disadvantage James Potter and his friends: Serious black, Remeus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were sitting in it. She rolled her eyes but forced a light smile when she was introduced to his friends, whom she only saw in classes but hadn't come in contact with very much. She sat across from James, but couldn't help admitting to herself that he was very attractive. Soon after that thought she had every intention of banging her head on the wall for that thought to get out of her head. She wouldn't give her father, or anyone else the satisfaction of liking him. She got out her Transfiguration book after a while of looking out the window. She was disturbed after a while when James and serious went to the compartment beside theirs.  
  
"Where did they go?" She asked.  
  
"Oh. They went to the compartment next to ours, they want to start a fight with Snape." Lupin said. Gabrielle went to the compartment after Peter. He didn't make it through the huge crowd, but she did. She saw the two boys both hit snape with the same curse at the same time. She was confused.  
  
"What did snape do to them?" she asked a red haired boy from Ravenclaw.  
  
"Apparently he was born "the boy said jokingly and he watched them both in awe. Snape was James and Sirius's worst enemy, and James and Sirius had fights with him all the time. This was the first time this year.  
  
That was enough to make Gabrielle sick. She was about to step between them and give them a piece of her mind but was interrupted by the Potions teacher, Professor Gurrow who took points away from Gryffindor and shooed the on lookers away. Professor Gurrow was the meanest teacher in the school, but favored her own house (slitherin)  
  
Fair enough she thought to herself and she walked back into the compartment. She filled Morgain in on what happened (in French) and finished the book she was reading. Soon enough they changed into their school robes. Gabrielle then didn't feel as angry at Serious and James as she was earlier; they had gotten what they deserved.  
  
Ironically, Gabrielle found herself in the same horse-drawn carriage going up to the school as Serious and James. The ride wasn't very long. They talked a little, but not much. And when they reached the school Gabrielle was relived. She met up with her friends Jamie and Shannon who were going into the school, followed by Morgain. When they entered the great hall they saw it was the same as it had been last year, and the year before that.  
  
It was beautiful, with its ceiling enchanted to look like the night sky (a navy blue with faint whips of white clouds hiding the distant stars from view) and candles floating above the heads of the students and teachers. Morgain didn't go to the Ravenclaw table like she was supposed to instead she went with Shannon, Jamie and Gabrielle and sat at the Gryffindor table. They waited a while for the new first years to come out and try on the sorting hat.  
  
The same old routine: Professor McGonagall, their transfiguration teacher, would take out the sorting hat. The sorting hat would sing a song that it had been preparing for the whole year that it had not been used. The song was normally about the school, and its history. After the song one by one the students would put it on and the sorting hat would shout the house name they would be placed in for all to hear.  
  
Gabrielle enjoyed about the first couple of minutes of the sorting ritual, and then it got too dull for her liking so she would daydream, hoping no one would notice she was not paying attention. One by one students have walked up to Professor McGonagall with the sorting hat, put it on and went to the correct table and everyone would cheer.  
  
After a few of those Gabrielle was looking at the ceiling trying to  
remember what she had learned about Astronomy over the past few years,  
creating her own predictions and such. She looked down after a while and  
saw the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore looking at her with the twinkle  
in his eye. She didn't know what he meant, because he normally had that  
mysteriously comforting look on his face, she smiled back hoping it was  
the right thing to do. He was her favorite person in the school, and  
maybe even in the world. He was sweet and he was brilliant. Plus he was  
odd which kept things interesting.  
  
After everyone was in their appointed house Dumbledore stood and said a  
couple of words and the plates in the grand hall suddenly filled with  
food. Gabrielle along with many others ate until they couldn't any  
longer.  
  
She talked to her friends for a long time and noticed another new  
teacher, and it seemed like he would be teaching defense against the dark  
arts this year. It was not surprising that there was a new Defense  
against the dark arts teacher because the job is said to be cursed, so  
they didn't have the same teacher one for very long.  
  
The teacher this year was an older man whom somewhat reminded her of  
Dumbledore because he had a long white bared much like Dumbledore's, and  
looked maybe even older than Dumbledore was. She wondered how he could  
find enough strength in him to fight off a boggart. He would have to do  
much more than that to be the defense against the dark arts teacher.  
  
"Did you notice the new teacher?" Gabrielle asked Williams, beside her.  
  
"Yes, looks like he would snap like a twig if you shook his hand" he said  
in reply. Gabrielle nodded. He did look like it.  
  
"Wonder how were going to learn anything this year, I hope he doesn't  
make us learn from the book the whole year while he sleeps at his desk"  
she said  
  
"Given that you've probably read the book a hundred times already" Sirius  
chimed in (he was sitting a few seats away). Followed by his comment were  
snickers from many around them.  
  
"And what is that supposed to mean?" she wasn't answered; she didn't need  
to be. She knew very well that it was obvious in classes that she spent a  
lot of time on school work, with her giving immensely long and thorough  
answers to all of the teachers questions. And she knew that she was  
intimidating to other students, and not just because of her knowledge;  
but she still needed to learn like everyone else and she didn't  
appreciate them all mocking her for it. While everyone else had smug  
looks on their face she ignored them and finished her desert (strawberry  
tart, her favorite). She suddenly had the best comeback, but it  
definitely seemed too late. Just then it started raining, the ceiling of  
the grand hall showed the rain falling, but luckily they were inside. It  
began thundering and Gabrielle saw lightening. She looked up at the  
ceiling and suddenly felt the rain on her. It was raining inside! The  
rain, warmed up from the summer sun, poured onto the tables, still with  
unfinished deserts and drinks. She heard girls squeal, attempting to  
shield their hair and faces from being ruined from the rain. Girls also  
covered their white blouses with their cloaks, four obvious reasons, and  
Gabrielle and her friends did the same. She liked the rain, and stood  
up, with Morgian. Dumbledore was smiling and watching the students,  
while all the other teachers tried to settle the students down. Jamie  
and Shannon had makeup on were shielding their heads from the rain, but  
Gabrielle made hers disappear. She laughed at Shannon and Jamie, and  
conjured up an umbrella for them. Then stood on the chair she was  
sitting on, Morgian was already o the table, dancing. Gabrielle joined  
her. The whole hall was in havoc; some people were dancing around in the  
rain, as well. Most of the students ran to the doors, trying to get out  
of the room. The rest of the room had few students in it; they were  
having fun in the rain. Jamie and Shannon tried to get Gabrielle and  
Morgian out of the room. They tugged on the end of her sleeve, telling  
her to get off the table. She jumped down into a puddle (not noticing  
her skirt went up a bit). The puddle splashed onto Jamie and Shannon.  
She looked At Morgian who was laughing at them. Her eyeliner was running  
down her face, which was the only makeup she wore. They squealed and  
threw the umbrella away and started splashing Gabrielle, attempting to  
get back at her. They didn't notice their makeup was running and their  
hair was all over the place any more. Her competitive friends were after  
her. They ran around the hall splashing each other, and randomly  
throwing things like unfinished deserts at each other. Then Professor  
McGonagall shooed them out, and they walked out of the room. When they  
left the room, they stood in the clean, dry entrance hall. The Janitor,  
Flitch, was eyeing them. They were wetting the floor her obviously just  
cleaned. Gabrielle got out her wand and made warm air some out of it and  
dried herself off.  
"Hmmm I wonder whose doing all this was." Gabrielle said aloud, talking  
about the rain. They heard laughing at the end of the hallway. Curious,  
they walked towards the sound. James, Sirius, Peter, and Remeus were all  
at the end of the hallway laughing hysterically. The girls could now  
guess the rain was the boys' doing. 


	3. finally, the begining

The three of them walked to the Common room. Most people were already in bed, nice and dry. She put on her pajamas and slid into her bed, smiling out of the comfort and talked to Jamie and Shannon until she yawned, and fell asleep.  
  
In the morning she woke up early, as she normally did, but she spared the other fourth year girls and didn't meditate, in case she did something weird. She got ready slowly and thought as she did it to make up for it. One by one the girls in their dorm woke up and greeted her and got ready themselves. She packed up her bag and left, hoping the bag wouldn't break from all of the books in it.  
  
As she entered the grand hall she felt a rush. There were students eating, drinking looking at schedules and there was a buzz of excitement. She loved this action. She lived for action, but she did always want a little more than she had. She sat next to a fifth year on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He was a Beater on the team, and he wasn't half bad, and she always liked his company.  
  
"Quidditch through the ages" she read aloud. "Getting ready for the  
season eh? Quigley" said looking at the book Dean Quigley had been  
reading. Dean had dark brown, pin straight hair that almost covered  
his eyes. He was well built, as all beaters normally were.  
  
"Yep. Have you, I heard the Slitherin team has a new line up and  
everything. There looking for a win this year"  
  
"Well they wont get it. You can trust me on that one, you know very  
well Williams will stop at nothing to get a win for Gryffindor,  
especially after last year. Believe me, Slytherin will not get a win  
this year." Robert Williams was there team captain and their other  
Beater.  
  
"You still didn't answer my question. Did you practice at all over the summer?"  
  
"Of course I did, I wouldn't hear the end it if I didn't" she said smiling "it was hard though, had to find a place away from muggles and everything. ". McGonagall had suddenly dropped Gabrielle's schedule beside her plate and she went to look at what class she had first.  
  
"Did you heard anything about the new Defense Against The Dark Arts Teacher?" she asked before she had a good look at the schedule.  
  
"What, you mean professor Gurrow?" Malcolm Windsor asked sitting on the opposite side of Dean.  
  
"No I mean the new teacher."  
  
"He's taken the Potions teachers spot and Gurrow is teaching Defense against the dark arts." He said, looking at Gabrielle through his long blonde hair. She didn't understand how he could see her, it was up to his chin, and covered his eyes.  
  
"Really? That's odd. I never knew Gurrow wanted the Defense against the Dark arts job." She said looking at her schedule. There it was. Her first class said Double Potions, Nicholas Flammel.  
  
"She has ever since she came to teach at Hogwarts" Quigley explained. " And I used to like that class so much" Quigley said sarcastically, remembering the classes he had with Gurrow last year. She was the strictest teacher in the school, but only to students in other houses than her own (Slitherin).  
  
"Hope this Flammel knows his stuff" Malcolm Said. She looked curiously at Flammel and back at her schedule.  
  
"I definitely hope so too" she added. 


	4. first day

The crowd of eager students swarmed into the classroom and into their seats. The old man, who was Professor Flammel, sat at his desk looking a sheet of paper.  
  
"Stop! Stop! Don't sit down just yet," he said still looking at the paper scratching something off and shaking his free hand vividly up in the air, and over his head. Everyone stopped in there tracks (some people who already sit down got up, annoyed) and looked at the Professor in confusion.  
  
"I'm putting you in alphabetical order" he said with a smile. "So I could get to know you, and you interact with different students." He added, enthusiastically.  
  
Some people groaned, and others didn't make a sound. None of their other teachers did this. Professor Flammel called out the first chair. "Maria Abbot, you go here at the first table" he said pointing to a chair while Maria walked over and sat down without a word. Gabrielle couldn't help smiling, he was a sweet man, but proved to be absent minded when he called out the same person twice. "Gabrielle Orwood" she sat down at her seat in the table beside Arthur Olivander (a Hufflepuff) and the teacher called out "James Potter". There was a seat vacant next to her (the tables sat two) and James took that seat next to her. Her smile faded. Before she could cook up a good enough excuse Professor Flammel walked to the front of the room after calling the student's names and showing them their seats. He moved as if he was a mere teenager, and not as if he was as old as he looked. He started talking excitedly about potions, what he had in store for them, and so on. He seemed very energetic and spoke as if all the good things in life involved making a potion some way or another. He wanted to start immediately. Everyone took out their cauldrons and looked up at the teacher waiting for his instruction. He flipped to the first page and muttered.  
  
"no, no, that's much to simple!" and flipped through the book until he got near the end. "Aha! This should be perfect."  
  
He wrote the potion on the board using his wand and most students opened their mouths in amazement, but mostly of fear. They never did anything that complicated in their lives! Gabrielle smiled, she liked a challenge, and she set off to work instantly as others raised their hands nervously, asking for help.  
  
"Professor!" was heard every few moments but others were hard at work, Gabrielle was flipping through the book writing down what she was going to do exactly and followed the instructions on the board. When she lifted her head she turned red, she had been halfway through and no one else had gotten very far. She kept going attempting to blend in, trying not to be noticed. There was an explosion in front of her from Peter Pettigrew's cauldron. Red slime flew in all directions, but Gabrielle grabbed her book shielding her face from the slimy mess. The book's cover was practically burnt off. Two minutes after that, there was an explosion from Maria Abbott's cauldron, but this time it was bubbling to a point were it was overflowing. Sirius, her partner threw a brown powder onto it and it died down to a blue liquid. Which impressed Gabrielle very much. It didn't seem like him at all though; he was one of the people who caused all the havoc the day before. In the end of the class, Serious, Remeus, James and Gabrielle were the only ones with the correct potion. All other potions exploded, leaving James, serious and Gabrielle cooperating for once in their lives, and try to help the poor Professor; Who was running around fixing everything. She hardly noticed she was talking to James when they were attempting to fix, but not make disappear the orange, bubbling mess Peter had.  
  
"Aha" Gabrielle said. "it was the snake venom he needed!" she said taking a vile of yellowish liquid into her dragon hide, glove-covered hand and poured a little amount of it.  
  
"Brilliant" James said he was thinking of using frog egg and rubber tree extract but this worked faster.  
  
She smiled up at him, she never could talk to anyone like that, but stopped instantly when she noticed he was smiling at her and she was smiling back. She wouldn't allow herself. She pointed her wand at Olivander who seemed to make the same mistake again and had his potion squirting on him, but Gabrielle muttered a spell under her breath, pushing him out of the way, and leaving the big glob of the potion on the wall in the back of the room. She went over to it and cleaned it up. The bell rang and the students had gone in seconds leaving it deserted apart from the teacher, Peter, James, Lupin, and Serious. The boys didn't get out of the room fast enough; they were behind the last students that were getting out of the room. "Boys" he called to them. "Would you mind helping me clean up this mess," he asked before James, Sirius, Peter and Lupin could escape. For the next ten minutes Gabrielle and the rest stayed behind and helped the Poor Professor Flammel. He told them how he didn't know it would be hard for most of the class. They left after a while and Gabrielle left them to go to Divination.  
  
"See you later then" Gabrielle said and walked down the hall.  
  
"Bye" she heard scattered as each of them said it at different times.  
  
Not good, I shouldn't be making a slight form or peace with them. She thought, she was supposed to hate them. Mostly because of their big heads and rude pranks, but it was getting hard for her to think the same way she did before.  
  
James, and the others were talking. They were all going to the same class, but it was Gabrielle who was going some ware else. "Too bad he made us clean up after them." James said.  
  
"Well you did make half of the cauldrons explode." Remeus said. Sirius and James swapped smiles and Sirius started defending himself and his best friend.  
  
The Divination teacher talked in her mysterious sounding voice, and meanwhile Gabrielle told Morgain everything that happened the class before. Morgain sat wide-eyed looking at her.  
  
"That many explosions?" she said.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Did you get hit?"  
  
"No, but my book did" and she showed her book to Morgain. It had Holes in the cover, and the words had melted off. Morgain Giggled.  
  
"Morgain, do you have anything to express to the class, dear?"  
  
"No Professor" she said looking down, making her apology more affective.  
  
After the Professor handed out all of the crystal balls she instructed them to look into them and write down what they saw. Gabrielle was good at this and got some visions from the crystal ball, but none very important. There was one about an exam in a week, and another about Gabrielle getting a cold in mid-October. Nothing was very important. What she wanted to know "didn't want to be revealed," as there Professor once said.  
  
Morgain went after Gabrielle and didn't find anything good out either.  
  
"So what's your next class?" Gabrielle asked.  
  
"Errrr. Magical Creatures." Morgain answered  
  
"Me too!"  
  
They walked downstairs to a classroom on the first floor. It was the same one they had used last year. It was a relatively big room with a door in the back to go outside to the stables near the forbidden forest. It had a high ceiling and was always packed with cages of magical creatures, and tools for grooming them. They stayed outside with the animals most of the time so they were never really used to the room. The teacher, Professor Roland, was feeding a blue bird in a cage in the corner of the large room. He turned around only after everyone had sat down in his or her seats.  
  
"Alright everyone, please stand up, follow me- he said the bird in the corner made a squawking noise and showered the room with blue feathers, while it remained in its cage, now a red and orange color. - And bring your textbooks with you. We are going outside," he added after spitting out feathers that had flown into his mouth, his whole body covered in bird feathers. He brushed some feathers that were on his face and walked outside; a trail of blue feathers after him. The students were covered as well, but followed the teacher outside. Gabrielle took out her wand and blew all the feathers away from her clothing, while Morgain did the same. They walked outside after everyone. Students squinted from the sun's brightness, that was incredibly bright compared to the dark they were used to inside. There were Sphinxes outside all of them in this big glass dome, which was higher up than most of the tallest trees. They could see some of the sphinxes flying around the top of the dome. Professor Roland smiled.  
  
"All the way from Egypt" he said. "Now I want you to pair up in a group of two and sit with one, they wont hurt you if you can answer their riddles." A couple of people gulped. "I want you to ask them questions about themselves rather than learn it from a book. OK everyone find a partner, its quite warm in there so you can take of your jackets and sweaters and what not. I'll let you in one by one."  
  
"Er. Professor." Peter Pettigrew said raising his hand.  
  
"Yes Peter?"  
  
"They wont really hurt us. Will they?"  
  
"Don't be a sissy Pettigrew!" Serious cut in. Professor Roland gave serious a stern, look and pushed Peter and Lupin into the glass dome first. Telling Peter not to worry,and that he would be right there to help him if he angered the sphinx.  
  
"It's funny how they put us in danger all the time" Morgain said.  
  
"Funny. It's fabulous!" Gabrielle replied to Morgain, and she followed quickly behind the people going into the dome. As soon as they entered they started sweating because it was stifling hot inside. Only because Sphinxes like hot weather, as it is in Egypt. "Hello, my name is Gabrielle, and this is Morgain. "What's your name?" Gabrielle said to a sphinx inside the dome. She rubbed off the sweat on her forehead, and smiled at the quiet Sphinx appreciatively.  
  
The sphinx looked at Gabrielle hopeful and friendly eyes. His head had dark skin, straight black hair, and orange-yellow eyes. His fur was exactly the same shade that his eyes were. He was cooking up a riddle in his head, but was interrupted when there was a feeble scream from the other side of the dome.  
  
"Pettigrew! I told you not to anger them! They're very temperamental. You- must-answer-there-answers-accordingly!" Professor Roland said pulling a Sphinx away from Peter. Everyone looked. Professor Roland asked Remeus, "Lupin what did Peter here do to anger the sphinx?"  
  
"He didn't answer the question, sir" Remeus answered.  
  
"Out! Pettigrew, Out!" professor Roland said pushing peter out the door while throwing out some bookwork after him. They all went back to work. By the riddles, they found out things about the sphinxes, and they all wrote them down. And when the class was over they all ran up to their common rooms to drop off their books and go to the Grand hall for Lunch. 


	5. Quidditch

Gabrielle took a sandwich and went over to the Ravenclaw table to find Morgain. "Hey spike!"  
  
"Hey Gabby"  
  
"You seen Morgain?" He stopped, the tips of his hair turned pink.  
  
"Er, yes she went to your table" he said his hair turning an even more brilliant pink then before. It was; now, pink all the way form its roots. It was funny how he couldn't hide his emotions, but most people were nice about it. He was a metamorphous, and this time. When his hair turned pink Gabrielle knew he fancied Morgain. Oh course she knew before, but it made it more obvious.  
  
"Thanks spike, I'll see you around." And she headed for her table.  
  
Morgain was sitting on the chair beside hers, talking to Lupin about their magical creatures lesson. Gabrielle sat down next to her, Said hello, and finished he sandwich. They all talked for a while and Gabrielle went to Transfiguration and Morgain went to her class.  
  
"Settle down, settle down" Professor McGonagall said sternly over all the noise the class was making. Gabrielle sat down next to Lilly. "Today we will be learning about amigi." "Can anyone tell me what it is?" Gabrielle raised her hand. "Yes, Gabrielle"  
  
"It is the ability of a witch or wizard to change into an animal at will," she said.  
  
"Thank you dear." said McGonagall while starting to write notes on the board. What surprised Gabrielle was not the lesson, but that James and Sirius were interested in it, very much unlike any other lesson. They kept on whispering to each other about it. The students listened to Professor McGonagall's lesson, while coping down the many notes from the board.  
  
The glow of the fire lit up her paper. Gabrielle had hardly any homework, and it had been finished an hour ago. Now, she was reading a book on amigi in a chair by the fire. Her favorite chair in the corner by a huge bay window had lost its purpose because it was raining and it was too dark to see there. She looked up when she heard someone coming through the portrait hole. Dinner must be over by now. It was Sirius, James, and Peter. Remeus wasn't there with them.  
  
"Ill go to the library to get the book, then we can research before we-" he sopped when he saw Gabrielle in a chair by the fire. He turned red, and Gabrielle, hearing everything tried to look innocent and pretended she didn't hear them talking. There was a little mumbling and Serious left the common room. She finished the book. She hated finishing books, especially when there interesting but she put the book down next to her bag on the floor and took out a knew one. Earlier, when dinner had started, she brought her food up to the common room and went to the library to return her books and get a set of new ones to read. Hoping that they would last her through the weekend. Her "Library Routine" was simple: she pulled out any books from the shelves that seemed to catch her eye. She ended up with thousands in the end that wouldn't fit on a table. Then, she would go through them all, seeing if they sparked an interest in her (being eyed by the librarian meanwhile). She ended up bringing five upstairs, only because the librarian wouldn't let her bring the seven she wanted.  
  
James, and Peter were in the common room talking, and when everyone started to come back from dinner they left for what Gabby thought would be the library because Sirius hadn't come back yet. Gabrielle talked to her friends until Williams yelled. "TEAM! BED!" Meaning the Quidditch team. "That would be us" Gabrielle said to Jamie, Shannon and Quigley and headed up to the Girl Dormitories. Later on, James and Sirius came back from the library.  
  
"Who would have that amigus book? Really they should keep tabs on who takes the books out." Sirius said angrily.  
  
"Yeah, then we wouldn't have to go looking for the-" he saw a book under a chair near the fireplace, its letters glittering from the light of the fire. It said The wonderful world of an Amigus. "SCORE!" He picked it up.  
  
Gabrielle was sleeping soundly then a big, red envelope glided swiftly into her room and right up to her ear.  
  
"WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD. QUIDDITCH PRACTICE!" It hollered at her. She absentmindedly reached out her hand and grabbed the envelope and squished it into a ball before it had a chance to fly away. It quivered in her hand once and turned into dust and blew away. "Hmmm. If Potter wasn't seeker." She muttered to herself, and got up and dressed in her Quidditch Robes. She saw Jamie and Shannon were still sleeping. He figured their wakeup call was probably coming soon, so she let them have their couple minutes of sleep, and headed downstairs to the Grand Hall.  
  
"Don't you think your going a little overboard?" Gabrielle said to Robert Williams. "You know. Waking us up at five o'clock in the morning and everything." He ignored her comment. She sat next to him. James came down a few minutes later and sat next to her, not saying anything; he was just as tired as she was. He didn't even make any witty comments. Williams looked at his watch for the thousandth time. Then the rest of the team came storming into the Grand Hall.  
  
" Clever Williams" Jamie McLean said rubbing her eyes. She was a chaser for the Gryffindors, and Gabrielle noticed her shirt was on backwards.  
  
Gabrielle knew what she had to do; even though the last horrifying double potions she had she did learn something. She looked at the table.  
  
"Hey Potter do you think there's some apple seed extract in this muffin?" she asked him holding one up. Tasting a little of it.  
  
"I think so but why do you need apple seed extract?" he asked. She didn't answer him but looked around the table until she found all of the things that would make a waking potion. She got in everyone's way, and everyone looked at her as if she was crazy, but James watched her curiously as everyone shook their heads. They always knew she was an odd ball. She threw everything in a bowl and stirred it with her wand. It turned into brown- colored sludge. She tried it after stirring it with her wand. And everyone looked at her mortified that she ate something that smelled and looked that disgusting.  
  
"That... was disgusting." She said but smiled because suddenly the circles under her eyes disappeared and she had more energy than she ever did before. "Waking Potion," she told everyone. They all stared at the bowl of mush and then her. Waking potion was like the muggle coffee except it wasn't bad for them and it had better effects. Most of the older wizards and witches drank it in the morning. Williams looked at Gabrielle as if he would kiss her, his eyes lit and everything. Gabrielle moved away form him to avoid this. He forced it down everyone's throats, but they only regretted it for tasting disgusting, but it made them feel awake and energetic as soon as it was swallowed.  
  
"Alrigh' team, I want you practice before the Ravenclaw take the field this evening for there try outs"  
  
"Who are they replacing?" Gabrielle asked  
  
"Amos Diggory, he left last year" Jamie and Shannon giggled when they heard his name; he was popular and very, very good-looking.  
  
"Seeker, Eh?" Gabrielle said to herself thinking. Then she had this weird sensation of flying and she saw Morgain on a broom looking for the snitch and people cheering her on. As quick as it came next thing she knew Williams was shaking her.  
  
"Anyone in there? Gabby! Gabby!" he said. "What was that all about? Get on the field!"  
  
Gabrielle ran down the hall in her muddy quidditch robes and her broom in her hand looking for Morgain. The practice was over, everyone else had gone back to the common room to rest because Williams wore them all out, but Gabrielle never seemed to loose energy. Besides, she had to find Morgain!. "Are you going to try out for the seeker position?" she asked when she finally found her.  
  
"I guess so. Maybe. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Only because were going to be competing against each other." 


	6. dove on the loose

The school day went by slowly, and was only interesting the few minutes that James and his friends played their pranks. Defense Against The Dark Arts class was interesting though. It started off with everyone sitting down and Professor Gurrow walking in. She wrote notes on the board, and when everyone wrote them down she started her lecture.  
  
"Dueling is the most important part of your Defense against the dark arts training." She started. "You have learned about the enemy and now you must fight it!" She said a bit forcefully and slammed her hand on her desk in the front so it made a loud bang that echoed throughout the room. Most people moved back in fright. Gabrielle smiled "ah!" She sighed. Dueling. I think I'm going to like this class. She copied down their homework (an essay on dueling and it's impact on Wizarding life). The rest of the day she liked as well; in charms they learned a new charm, naturally. Gabrielle thought it would prove useful, and she had Astronomy in the evening so she had a break before dinner.  
  
She knew that Morgian had quidditch try-outs later on that day so she looked for her to say good luck. She knew she would be making it harder for herself in Quidditch if Morgain did make the team, she was a fabulous seeker, but she absolutely loved a challenge. She went back up to the common room to look for something, the librarian stopped her in the corridor earlier telling her to return the Amigus book because it was overdue. She absolutely forgot about it and looked every ware. She rummaged through her trunk, her sheets, and her night table. Then, she had a vision of the book lying under the chair in the common room and someone saying "score!". She shook her head.  
  
"Ahh" she said holding her head, it hurt but that normally happened when she had her "visions". It normally scared people so she didn't tell them what they were and what she saw because it would seem even weirder than it was. She knew she heard that voice, but she wondered if the person that said it took the book, and why. And the first thing that went into her head was who says "score"? She walked to the common room, hoping to get a glimpse of the Ravenclaw try-outs from the window mean while. She wasn't allowed at the try-outs because everyone would think she was a spy for the Gryffindors. She walked into the common room and asked a couple of people if they've seen a book on Amigi. No one knew. Then She sat on the chair near the window and James came over to her.  
  
"Clever Orwood, they kicked me out of the field" he said. She laughed.  
  
"Too bad I can't tell who's who," she said in reply.  
  
"You can't see? There she is the one with the red shirt on and the black hair, she's beside the bleachers" he said pointing at the window. Gabrielle squinted and looked, then after a few moments, she saw her. Morgian was walking onto the field. They released the snitch and she flew out of view for a little while but came back into view and soon enough caught the snitch. Wow, Gabrielle thought. She is good. She noticed James getting tense. Serious, Peter and Remeus came up behind her chair and watched too. They were all in awe at her. She got it faster than anyone else, by far.  
  
Later on Gabrielle went to her Dormitory to get her books for Astronomy. The lesson took place in the highest tower in the school. Today they were mapping out the constellation of Virgo with their mean, and odd teacher, Professor Rosemerta. 


	7. games

"But. But. Madame Prince! I swear I'll find that book!" Gabrielle said.  
  
"Don't you 'but' at me young lady! That book was supposed to be on my desk a week ago!" Said the angry librarian.  
  
"I'll find it, I pro- she suddenly heard some one say "score!" in the back of the library. She remembered her vision. She whipped around and saw who said it. . James Potter! She walked up to him but stopped when she heard the word, "exited" followed by "illegal", and stopped to listen. She didn't hear much, but the room of requirement and Snape coming up to them and interfering. She had never heard of the room of requirement. She saw Remeus put a book under the table. There it is! It was the amigus book! She pulled out her wand. She made the book come out of Remeus's hands and float over to her. He went to grab for it and practically fell out of his chair trying to get it. She ran out from her hiding spot and went to Madame Prince's desk and placed the book there for her to see. Madame Prince looked at her suspiciously and said.  
  
"Very well" and looked up into the room with the book saying "Sirius? Sirius Black? Wasn't it you dear that wanted this book?" Sirius stood up; confused he looked at the book. Gabrielle wanted to crawl away. If they found out she took it back- I thought I just had this, Sirius thought. He walked to the table with his friends. James figured that Gabrielle brought the book to the librarian. She had already walked out the door and was in the corridor, red, from what the librarian did.  
  
"Oy! Orwood, becoming a fugitive are we?" he called after her playfully. "Stealing books from innocent students." She turned around and in rage she said.  
  
"I was not the one who stole it in the first place!" "No, you were the one who left it in the common room. Unattended." James said, fitting the pieces into the puzzle. Gabrielle turned red.  
  
"You could've found out who's it was so they wouldn't have Prince on their tail for having it overdue!" she shouted back and stomped off to the Gryffindor common room. The nerve of him! Blaming me for stealing the book. After she had stomped out all her rage, she started thinking, why would they be interested in amigi anyways? She went up to the portrait of the fat lady in a pink dress.  
  
"Angry dear?"  
  
"Toadstool. I mean yes, a little bit" Gabrielle answered her.  
  
"Only a little bit? I heard you storming up when you were on the second floor!" She said.  
  
"Er. Could I go in now?"  
  
"Oh yes. Dreary me. Password?"  
  
"Toadstool" she answered and climbed through the portrait hole.  
  
Jamie and Shannon were sitting by the fire.  
  
"Gabby! The first Hogsmade trip is tomorrow. Are you going to come?"  
  
"Uh. yes. I think so. I mean if Williams doesn't keep us in practice all day." She said, partially thinking about what James and his friends could be up to.  
  
"I can't Gabby. Sorry, the slitherins have the field booked in the evening" Williams said from the opposite end of the room. Gabrielle rolled her eyes and continued talking to Jamie and Shannon. She later decided to send Morgain a note, since she couldn't get a hold of her at the moment.  
  
"Wait! It's illegal to become an unregistered amigus!" She said to herself after she had entered her dormitory. She ran to her trunk and took out a piece of red parchment and a quill and wrote.  
  
Morgian, I figured it out! I've done a little snooping around and I have reason to believe that James and his lot are trying to become amigi Illegally! Wonder how they would ever think of doing that! P.S. did you get the spot as seeker? With love, Gabrielle  
  
She folded it and whispered, "paper owl" and the piece of paper folded up into what an origami owl would look like and flew out of the room. Normally, Hero was there to take her letters to were she needed them to go, but today he was out hunting, Where is the room of requirement? Next thing she knew she was walking down the hallway, late at night. She was not afraid of being caught, like most students would be, but at the moment she resembled a blonde-colored tabby cat. She was walking down the hallways aimlessly, hoping to find some sort of clue to where the room of requirement was. She heard two people mumbling to each other. She looked around the corner and saw Professor Rosa and the janitor, Flitch. The two parted and Flitch started coming her way, groaning about how he hated the students. He bent down when he saw Gabrielle.  
  
"Hello lil kitty cat, how're you today?" he said in a way parents talk to newborns. If she weren't a cat, she would have burst out laughing. Flitch hated students, and was never seen being nice to any one of them. His liking of cats surprised her. She tried walking away but he picked her up and started stroking her. Heeelp! He walked to the third floor with her in his arms. "Kitty there are some naughty students some ware here, and I'm gunna catch them!" he said. Then she saw James, Sirius, Lupin and Peter! She saw them at the end of the corridor for a split second. She looked again but didn't see them. They disappeared. She jumped out of Flitch's arms. He called after her but she ran for the direction that she saw them. She smelt something familiar. Someone's wearing too much cologne, she thought to herself. Then she slammed into something bony and squishy and felt a light fabric fall onto her.  
  
She saw through it and above her James, serious, Remeus and Peter. They were looking up at Flitch. He was shouting at them and they picked up the cloth that was on Gabrielle. She was trying to get out of it, but fell out as soon as James tugged on it. She gave a big "meow!" and heard Flitch scream  
  
"You lousy good for nothings! Don't hurt that kitty!"  
  
They disappeared underneath the odd cloth and she followed the sent. She heard them 'shooing' her away. And saw a big door open and close right in front of her nose. Bugger! She quickly hid behind a statue while Flitch passed, and waited by the door. She paced, thinking. First, she turned into her self, after she knew Flitch was gone. Then, she tried opening the door. It was locked. She pulled out her wand, no luck. Then she paced again, I need to find them! She stopped. Then she looked at the door. A little part of her told her to open the door, she thought why not? And went to try to open the door again. The handle turned, but she felt someone else holding the handle at the other end. She jumped back, and turned into the first thing she could think of. A bird. Peter came out the door. She watched from outside of the window. And made for the closing door behind peter. He noticed her pass by, but didn't see her, or understand who or what it was. She entered the room, and James Remeus and serious looked up at her when she entered. They were looking at her curiously, and she flew out of the window.  
  
"What was a dove doing in the school?" James asked.  
  
"Probably from transfiguration or something." Sirius replied, an owl sat outside the window in the dark, and watched them. She didn't see much, they didn't seem to be getting as hang of all this amigi stuff. Gabrielle found it hard, mainly because she hadn't done it in a while, and she was turning into a different animal every few moments. She watched them. Peter came back soon, from what she figured out was the bathroom, and they started practicing. She became annoyed at all they were doing wrong, she had almost every intention of turning into her human self and point out that they were doing it wrong. They left soon, taking the book. She waited for a while before they left and flew to her room. She found it after a while of searching for the Gryffindor tower, and turned into her self when she was sitting on the parapet and opened and climbed through the window. Everyone was asleep. 


	8. responsibilites

"WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD!!" The enveloped shouted into her ear. Her arm was too heavy to catch it. Instead she moved her ear away from the envelope. Later Jamie and Shannon both pulled her out of bed. Both laughing.  
  
"Gabrielle! We have to go!" she pulled the covers down from her bed onto her on the floor with her.  
  
"Tell Williams ill be their in a second" she said yawing. They shook her awake and she stood up to get dressed with them. She fell down when she was pulling the pants up on her legs, and fell down when she was walking down the stairs, but managed to get to the grand hall' thanks to Shannon and Jamie who got a kick out of it at the same time. This time, Williams managed to get some waking potion from professor Flammel yesterday, when he had him. "Nice guy, Flammel" he said. Gabrielle got to it last, and took the last sip of the potion.  
  
She wasn't paying much attention at practice, she was mostly thinking about the night before. She ended up, absent-mindedly hitting down flying quaffles that were headed for the hoops anyway though. Her reflexes were there when her mind wasn't. It was her Keeper instincts, but at the end she let in a couple and Williams started shouting at her.  
  
"Oy! Orwood, wake up!" he said and she did, for a little while.  
  
She walked into the Grand hall with her normal clothes on and saw Morgain at the Gryffindor table, waiting for her. She was reading the daily prophet. They read for a while, and met up with James, Sirius, Peter, and Remeus.  
  
"I really don't understand why you insist on being nice to them! I told you what I saw the other day. They're fugitives!" Gabrielle whispered to her in French when they were heading to the entrance hall to meet up with them.  
  
"Hello girls." Sirius said as he saw them approach. Gabrielle said hello back, and they set of for Hogsmade. James snapped one of his comments when they were walking. She was close enough to curse him, but she didn't feel like going through a bunch of innocent people to get him. "Not worth the trouble," She mumbled. Sirius and Morgain found it humorous though, which didn't help. They started talking about school work, but she could've sworn that Morgain lied when she said she was depressed because of her schoolwork and followed it with the fact that she doesn't do homework, and that her parents don't care. There was something she didn't want to tell them. So that meant Gabrielle had to find out. They walked into Hogsmade and went into the Three Broomsticks to warm up with some butter beer. As soon as they entered they took of their cloaks and sat down, and later were accompanied by various friends of theirs.  
  
"You hear about that woman that got murdered?" Quigley said solemnly.  
  
"No. How did she get killed?" Gabrielle asked curiously.  
  
"Apparently in an old fashioned way, she got killed with a sword, and they have no idea who did it."  
  
Morgain went the palest white at Quigley's words. "Obviously, he could've apporated on the spot," James said.  
  
"Do you know who it was?" Gabrielle asked Morgain, because it was she who had been reading the paper that morning.  
  
"I don't remember." Morgain had been shaking, and had spilt some butterbeer on the table, and Sirius cleaned it up with his wand and asked if she was all right. Morgian was as white as a ghost and had blood -shot eyes. She ran to the bathroom, and everyone looked at Gabrielle, their looks all saying. Go on; see what's wrong, she's your best friend. She stood up from her chair going after her, way before she saw any of their looks. She walked swiftly to the bathroom door and knocked.  
  
"Morgan? Answer me please." She said softly in French. "I don't want to open the door when you're on the toilet." she heard sobs and opened the door. She saw her on the floor near the sink on the floor, crying. She searched through her pocket for some tissues. "What's the matter Morgain? Please tell me!"  
"I-I s-s-aw her b-b-blood and the s-sword. AND HIM!" Morgain managed to say in between her tears.  
"You saw who? What do you mean her blood?" Gabrielle was very worried. This was serious.  
"The murderer. H-h-he licked her blood off the s-s-sword!" Morgain was now trying very hard to calm down.  
"Where did you see this?" Gabrielle asked softly. My dream..." Morgain whispered. "I've always been able to see things in my dreams, but they...they n-never where like this." She closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. Thousands of thoughts crept through Gabrielle's mind, the first one being why didn't she tell me this before? But she didn't want to trouble her any further. She tried comforting her, and thought of what to do. "This is really, well strange. I have visions but they're not like this." she looked down and then at Morgain, who had he eyes closed. She was humming a song very softly under breath. There was a knock on the door. It was Sirius. "Hey, what's taking so long? Is everything alright?" he sounded worried. Gabrielle stuck her head out of the bathroom. Morgain stepped out of the washroom and told Sirius everything; Gabrielle hesitated and pulled them both into the bathroom to avoid anyone over hearing. She wasn't sure about trusting Sirius with all this information but she noticed that Morgian really trusted him, so she gave in, as stubborn as she was. He looked at Morgain in disbelief. Then he seemed to take it all in and began understand the situation.   
"Do you want to go back to the school?" he asked. Morgain thought for a second.  
"No I think I want to just get away from it all." And they decided to go shopping for a bit. They went around to the stores in Hogsmade. Gabrielle kept on watching Morgain, she knew what they should do, but she didn't really want to force it into her head just yet, because it was hard for Morgian, and she could tell. Every time she said something she held back the words, we have to go to Dumbledore, we have to go to Dumbledore! When it got late, they went back to the school. 


	9. revealed

Days went by and soon enough the whole student body was rushing to the Quidditch pitch; Gabrielle could hear them even over Williams's loud pep talk. He was confident, and so was she. She looked down at her robes, and back at Williams, then at her wand. Then they left for the stadium. A rush of energy crept though her as they walked to their entrance to the Quidditch field. As soon as they entered onto the field there was a loud cheer from Gryffindor's team supporters. Then she heard a loud cheer when the Hufflepuff team went out onto the field form the Hufflepuff supporters. Gabrielle smiled and walked onto her spot on the field. The whistle blew. They were off. She heard Malcolm, her blonde Gryffindor friend, announcing the game, as he always did. She smiled at Jamie, and Shannon, and soon enough she saw them get the quaffle, she could see them zooming to the other side of the field. She sighed; she knew she wouldn't get much action in this game. The Hufflepuffs weren't exactly the best team in the school. Already, they were up by thirty points and James had the snitch in his sight. She kept her focus and watched what was going on. Quigley sped past her; he was after a bludger that had almost broken her nose. As he sped by, he told her to watch out. The Hufflepuffs managed to get the quaffle past the Gryffindor chasers, but Gabrielle caught it and threw it over to Jamie, and they flew over to the other teams net again to get more points for the team. The whistle blew. The game was over. She was happy that they won, but she was unhappy that she didn't get to do much. Maybe I should ask Williams if I could be chaser. She joined the big hugging swarm of scarlet and gold, which was the Gryffindor team. They were all hugging and screaming. "We won! WE won!" Gabrielle smiled and was pushed from the back right into James because the students from the stands came to collide into their pit of victory (if you want to call it that), and he was pushed into her. She looked at James in confusion and there was another jolt and her lips collided with his. (Yes, a kiss) She turned red, and pulled away from him, and screamed on top of her lungs. She was ready to curse him, she tried to pull out her wand but she was pushed into him again. Which made her even more furious. She slipped away from him, trying to get as far away from him as possible.  
"Morgain!" Gabrielle shouted at her from the end of the swarm of students. "There you are, you look pale" "Gabrielle! We saw! How cute! I didn't know you and James are dating!" It was Jamie and Shannon, they saw. Gabrielle turned red. "We aren't dating!!!" she said reassuring Morgain's confused look. "Gabrielle!" Williams screamed at her as he walked towards her. She turned around and rolled her eyes at him. "I didn't think I'd have to tell you this but what are you doing? Their will be no team dating!" he said, Gabrielle turning into the same red color. "It will ruin your focus! If I could stop you from dating at all but that's not possible." he said babbling on. Morgain pulled her away before she could explode. Gabrielle ran and ran to get some excess steam off, Jamie, Shannon, Laura and Morgain watched, talking. She ran stomping the ground with her feet harder than she ever had before, she was so angry! She even managed to stop out a tear, and then she let her friends catch up to her. "Omagosh! Gaby! When did you learn to run so fast!?" Jamie panted. Morgain, Shannon and Laura came after her panting as well.  
"Arghh!!! I can't believe this!" Gabrielle yelled. She was red with anger. "Why me?" The girls noticed the tear that was falling down her face from all her stomping, and aggravation.  
"Aww common Gaby!" Morgain comforted her and hugged her. Laura and Jamie did the same. (group hug! nooo kissing tho! LOL A/N)  
"Lets just go up to the common room and calm down ok?" Jamie suggested. "NO! He'll be there and the rest of the house. I'm really not in the mood for them." Gabrielle protested, saying the word "them" as if it was poison (them of course meaning James And his friends). She was stubborn, but she didn't care! So they walked towards the school to go to the library instead. "OK What exactly happened?" Morgain asked when they were inside the school. "Well-" she stopped. James, Sirius, Peter, and Remeus were ahead of them. They looked around at them when they entered the entrance hall, and James smiled at Gabrielle. This time she became even redder than she had to other times. She desperately attempted to hide herself; She hid behind a huge statue in the entrance hall, and watched James laugh at her and walked away. "Lets go to the library" Gabrielle said. Morgain nodded. They entered the library, and went to the very back in a deserted corner. Gabrielle sat on a dusty chair; after she took out her wand and cleaned it up a bit. The others sat beside her, on other dusty chairs that they attempted to clean up too. Her three friends waited for what she would say next. There was a silence then Gabrielle started up again.  
"How am I going to live this down?"   
"Gaby, don't pretend you don't like him because we know you fancy him, and obviously he fancies you too." Morgain just blurted out. Gabrielle looked at her surprised with her bluntness.  
"I do not!" Gabrielle argued and stood up. She blushed a bit. She was in a state of denial, but she didn't care!  
"Yes you do." Laura argued back calmly. Gabrielle sat down and muttered under her breath,  
"No I don't." After a few minutes of silence, Jamie and Shannon tried to get Gabrielle to go up to their common room.  
"I don't want to go!" Gabrielle folded her arms. This was stubborn Gabrielle, this was donkey stubborn Gabrielle. Even if the house was on fire if she wouldn't want to leave she wouldn't. Jamie sighed.  
"Is it really all that bad?" Morgain asked.  
"Yesss!" Gabrielle wined like a little child.  
"Seriously Gaby, the school will get over it in a few days." Laura tried to show a bit of sunshine into the situation. Right after they finished talking, a girl with way too much makeup on and disgustingly amount of hair products pocked her hair behind a bookshelf that was hiding them. "Gabrielle!" said a girl that followed the first makeup covered girl. She put her hands on her hips and said. "What were you thinking kissing James like that?" She said, saying the first part of her sentence sternly but saying James's name softly, and with much awe. Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "Excuse me, I didn't kiss him on purpose!" she said, and all the girls snickered at her (there were more coming by the second) "Very funny! Now keep off of him" The first girl said. "Oh so you're dating him, all of you." Morgain said, eyeing them. "No" one girl said sourly. "He's ours! We liked him first!" "All of yours?" Shannon asked, almost bursting with laughter. The girls looked at one another's powdered faces, confused. This obviously wasn't explained in their beauty magazines. "Er. Well leave you to figure it out for yourselves." Morgian said getting up. As soon as they left their seats they were on the floor laughing, Gabrielle stopped when she noticed. She gabbed Morgain's arm. "Everyone's going to know!" she said, getting pale again. "You just figured that out?" Morgain asked. Gabrielle's face went pale, so pale her freckles stood out thousand times more than usual. "Oy. Gabrielle! There's a party in Gryffindor tower! We need you." Gabrielle looked up. It was Malcolm. She felt nervous. She wouldn't look at Jamie's face she knew it would just scream I told you so. " They really need me?" she asked. "O'course. You're the keeper!" Gabrielle got up from her spot on the carpeted floor of the library. He led her out of the library and to the Gryffindor common room. Jamie and Shannon following. "So you and James are dating, eh?" this time Gabrielle attempted to control her anger. "No" she said through clenched teeth. "Its alright, you can tell me, there's no use keeping it a secret." "I'm not lying, it was an accident. I was pushed into him," She said taking a couple of deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. He looked at her and raised his eyebrow so high it was lost in the blonde hair on his forehead. "Its true!" she said "Alright! Alright!" he said. "I believe you." They walked the rest of the way to the Portrait of the fat lady. "Toadstool" he said, and the portrait opened to let them through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room. Everyone looked at her when she entered, but she rolled her eyes and went towards the pumpkin juice, she got a glass, and went to her favorite chair by the window, but someone else was there. He looked up at her when she walked towards to the chair. "What do you want? You got your kiss," Gabrielle said to James miserably. He smiled, and she scolded him. "I swear it wasn't my fault," he said. She eyed him, looking for anything in his face to prove his sarcasm, but there was none. "Sorry" he added. Her stern look softened up a little. "Er. That was a good catch, how long did it take you to get the snitch. Five minutes?" "Think so." He answered her, looking out the window. That was a great save." "Yeah. One save. There's no action any more, none at all. The chasers get all the fun" "Then why don't you ask Williams if you could be chaser?" She thought about it. "You know, that's not such a bad idea," she said smiling. 


	10. weakness

"No, no! Definitely not!" Williams said at the Gryffindor table. "But Williams! Why not?" Gabrielle said in a winy voice. "Because you're a great keeper, and we can't look for a new one now!" "Williams!" She said in an even whinier voice. "Orwood!" he said mimicking her. She gave him a sour look. "Please" She said batting her eyelashes, in a very, very fake manor. "No" "Next year?" she asked hopefully. "Maybe" he said "Fine." "Fine." Morgain walked back to her seat in the Grand hall. Morgain was there, eating her toast, and Hero was perched next to her in front of Gabrielle's oatmeal. She took the letter from him and petted him. Morgian read the letter over her shoulder, getting crumbs on the paper. The letter was from Gabrielle's father, his usual letter from home, at the bottom a scribbled signature from her little brother, and her mother writing a note at the bottom, reminding her not to bring anything magical into the house. Now that was impossible because Gabrielle was magical herself, and she needed to bring her books home. But she knew as long as her mother didn't see any of it, there wouldn't be a problem. Her mother didn't like the magical world, and Gabrielle figured it was because she didn't understand it, and her grandparents helped a lot. Her Grandparents were as magical as you could get, and acted as if muggles were stupid, but that was because they weren't very educated when it came to muggles. Gabrielle loved her grandparents, and thought they were funny. But her mother didn't like her in-laws very much, not did they like her very much as well. She took out a piece of parchment and answered the letter within a few moments, and Morgain wrote a little at the bottom herself. Then, Gabrielle finished her oatmeal and looked around the Grand hall. There was hardly anyone there; normally the Grand hall would be packed at this hour. Gabrielle looked around curiously. Then they both left for the entrance hall. There seemed to be a swarm of students by the bulletin board in the entrance hall. They were all reading a notice. Gabrielle was curious, and as much as she hated crowds at the moment, she slipped through, over to the sign. It read:  
Halloween Ball  
In the grand hall, October 31  
Years fourth and above are allowed to attend  
(Younger years may attend as well, but only accompanied by an older  
student) She turned around, rolled her eyes and worked her way back to Morgain. "Another ball" she groaned to Morgain. She took her bag from Morgain's outstretched hand. "What do you mean? We haven't had a ball all year." "Yes, but we need dates first, and I hate it when they use the same old rutine: First they rip my bag to shreds; the contents Fall onto the floor; they pretend that it wasn't them; and try to help and ask you to the ball, but you end up saying no anyways. Perfectly good waste of a bag if you ask me, and it just doesn't happen once." Gabrielle babbled on as she walked to double potions and Morgain to her class. Morgain went red. "Well. I don't say no." "Yeah, yeah, but they have to get by your brother first." She said, smiling and then motioned to her bag "but this year I'm prepared. Ten anti-tare spells, no one, I repeat, no one will rip my-" Her bag split in two and everything fell onto her floor. Ink bottles, quills, book, and parchment. Gabrielle looked at the mess on the floor and looked up, and none other than James Potter strolled up to her, smiling. "But. But. How did you break the spells?" she asked, dumbfounded. He grinned at her. Morgian slipped away to her class, then the bell wrong. She bent down, and started picking everything up, and cleaned it with her wand. James did the same. "Thank you, even though you were the one who did all this." "Your welcome, and I broke open the top, you didn't put any spells on the top, you were the one talking about no one could break the bag." "Hey! You were listening in on my conversation." He shrugged. "We better get to class." He said changing the subject. She eyed him. "Yeah, sure." She said standing up, and putting spells on the top of the bag and repairing and fixing the bottom. Once they got to the door, he opened it, and they walked through. Professor Flammel was in the middle of a speech in the beginning of class, and he stopped and looked at them as they entered. "Sorry. Sir. My bag ripped and everything fell out and, er, James helped me with it." Their where whispers in the room, she caught some of the words, something about making out in the hallways. She went red, as if it couldn't be any worse than it already was. She sat at her seat, and James followed and sat beside her. "As I was saying." Flammel went on "Love potions. They are very interesting, and very difficult to make. We will be working on them for the a couple of classes, and there will be enchantments on the doors so you cant take them out of the classroom and slip it into someone's pumpkin juice at breakfast." He said, and most people laughed. And he went on "Now get out your cauldrons, but only one in a group. This will be a team effort! So you can help each other out." "Taking it easy on us this time." James said, referring to Flammel, as Gabrielle took out her cauldron. "Apparently, yes." She replied. She was surprised they had gotten on friendly terms so fast. The thought of him being an illegal amigus crept though her mind. She hadn't gone after them in a while. She didn't exactly like being held hostage by the janitor, so she felt she should wait until she was sure before she went out wandering about in the school, it was dangerous business. Even for a cat. James took out his book and started reading aloud the ingredients needed for the potion, while Gabrielle took them out and put them on the desk. "The albine is in my bag, on the top." James said pointing to his bag, while the other hand held the book. Gabrielle went though the contents of his bag, looking for a clear bottle with albine in it. She went through it, and found it; A glass jar with a white liquid in it. She put it on the table. "Good. Now the frog tongue." 


	11. her first escape

They rushed out of the classroom, and headed for Defense against the dark arts, commonly known among the students as D.A.D.A. They entered the classroom; Gabrielle sat next to Morgian, and took her wand out of her pocket. She couldn't wait; her whole body was rushing with energy. They were actually dueling. Professor Gurrow announced what they were doing that day, and started pairing everyone up. She started calling names and their partners, and stopped after she said Gabrielle's. Apparently, she didn't know who was at Gabrielle's level straight away, but then she said "James Potter." Finally she thought, this'll be fun. She got up out of her seat, and smiled at Morgian. They all walked to the middle of the room, as instructed by Professor Gurrow. She moved all the desks to the side of the room, leaving an open space in the middle for them to duel. Gabrielle recited a couple of spells in her head, and turned around to find James smiling at her. They found a corner for them to duel and they both took out their wands. They walked up to each other, shook hands and did a cool swishy thing with their wands, making it seem like their wands were swords and they were getting ready for battle. Before they started Gabrielle told James  
  
"Don't you dare take it easy on me" and they started. They both started at the same instant, sending brightly colored sparks at each other. They cancelled each other out, and went in opposite ends of the room. Gabrielle ducked from hers, which bounced of a mirror in the room. She shot another at him, but he blocked it before it hit him, then she shot another at James, and it hit him.  
  
"Your taking it easy on me!" she said. Then she tried ten times harder than before and hit him with two spells. He blocked both and shot two back at her, which she blocked as well. They were shooting spells at each other, back and fourth, with none of them making any progress. They made their way to the back of the room. Making objects fly at one another and shooting curses at one another. They were jumping on and off of chairs in the room; not paying attention what else was going on. They both wanted to beat the other. By this time they were hurling themselves across the room, running, dodging and shouting spells at each other. Gabrielle showed no sign of loosing energy; she just kept going and going. Half way through their duel, the students watched them, mainly to keep from being slammed into the wall because of one of them, as Peter almost had. And he was barely hit by both James and Gabrielle, but was pulled away by Sirius and Remeus before he was. Everyone was laughing, gasping and even screaming at all the right parts. Then the bell to go to lunch interrupted them. James and Gabrielle were still fighting; oblivious to the fact that time was passing, and that there were other things to do. Morgain, Shannon, and Jamie went for Gabrielle while Sirius, Peter and Remeus went to stop James. All three of the girls shot Gabrielle with three different curses, Gabrielle would normally have struggled to fight longer, but a fatigue crept over her very last limb and she did not move. They took off all the curses and helped her limp body up. The boys did very much the same thing (they had all planned it together) James plopped to the floor and didn't move either. They all went to the Grand hall for lunch. Gabrielle fell asleep at the table in the grand hall; she looked more innocent than she had in days. By now, everyone knew about the duel her and James had, but now she enjoyed a dreamless sleep without care or worry. She was smiling. Everyone around her was talking. James contributed little to the conversation, he was as tired as Gabriele, but tried not to fall asleep. He feared his face would fall into the butter on the table if he did sleep. He smiled when he saw Gabrielle sleeping, he wasn't surprised because she didn't talk much when they came into the Grand hall from Defense against the dark arts, and when she did she would yawn. Maybe I can sleep in transfiguration today, he thought.  
  
Everyone piled into transfiguration class. Gabrielle had made sure James would have a rematch with her next Defense against the dark arts class. Now, she was bouncy, happy and very much awake. She sat at her seat next to Jamie and Shannon, in the middle of the room. They were all talking and suddenly the class's talking died down. There was a tabby on the Professors desk. They all looked curiously at it, and it turned out to be Professor McGonagall. She stood up in front of the class and started her lecture.  
  
"Becoming an amigi is very hard work, and you must register yourself with the ministry." She said after an introduction. "Does anyone know how they recognize you when you are registered?" Gabrielle raised her hand, she knew this all too well. The Professor picked her and smiled at her, all the teachers knew she was an amigi, especially Professor McGonagall. She was the one who helped her use her "gift". "When you register you give in traits that the animal has, and there's a spell you can use to make a person in their amigi to turn back into a person."  
  
"Yes and that spell is fidusa forma." Professor McGonagall added. She scowled James and Sirius because they were talking, Gabrielle was surprised to see that James no longer look tired but exited about something, and he was writing something down on a piece of parchment.  
  
"Pettigrew! Tell me, what department of the ministry of magic controls the amigi files?"  
  
"I-I don't know," he said quietly.  
  
"I'm not surprised," she mumbled to herself, "I'd advise you to pay attention and find out." She explained how to register and after a while, looked at Gabrielle. "We have a natural amigus in this classroom, and I wonder if she would like to show us what she can do." The classroom went stiff. Only Jamie and Shannon were the ones in the classroom that knew she was an amigus. They looked at her, while the rest of the class looked around to see who it was. Only Gabrielle looked to the front of the room at McGonagall. She stood up thinking;  
  
I wanted to make it a secret, So much for spying on James. She walked to the front of the room, no one was too surprised, but they were only surprised that they haven't found out about it earlier.  
  
Wow, this should be a record: Most rumors about someone in a couple of days.  
  
"Well, what should I do?" She asked openly to Professor McGonagall. She was her favorite teacher, and it was obvious Gabrielle was her favorite student. Gabrielle like to keep people form knowing this, but thing seemed to always seep out. James, Sirius, Peter, and Remeus were looking at her surprised.  
  
"What about a dove" Sirius looked at her, saying it sarcastically. He knew. He knew she had spied on them. She looked away from him. Professor McGonagall looked at Gabrielle. Some students raised their hands.  
  
"Call on someone Gabrielle."  
  
"Er. Quigley."  
  
"So you can change into any animal?" He said, amazed.  
  
"Er. Yes."  
  
"Lets see then," James said edging her on  
  
"What do you want me to turn into?" Different people said different things. So McGonagall but in,  
  
"How about a couple of things, whatever you can think of." Gabrielle nodded and turned into an owl. And flew around the room, then a monkey. Everyone laughed, she climbed up onto McGonagall's desk and sat down and turned into a mouse. Some girls screamed, so then she turned into a rabbit. Then she turned into a golden retriever, and jumped off the desk. She chased after her tale, and stopped when she felt a weird sensation, and turned into her human self again. The professor used the spell they talked about earlier. She stood in front of the room. She blushed,  
  
"You were having too much fun," McGonagall said I answer to the spell she had just cast on her, and she motioned for her to sit down. Everyone looked at her, most were smiling, but James, and Sirius were eyeing her. "Can anyone tell me what was similar in all of the animals Gabrielle transformed into?" The professor trailed off.  
  
"Nice job" Jamie whispered to Gabrielle when she sat next to her. "But what was up with the dove bit Sirius said?" Gabrielle gave a nervous smile.  
  
"I've been using my powers a lot lately," she whispered back, Shannon and Jamie were confused so she added "I'll explain later."  
  
"They all had light blonde fur, exactly the color of her hair," a student from Hufflepuff said.  
  
"Exactly," Professor McGonagall said, and the bell sounded, and all the students filed out of the classroom, everyone was off to dinner. She found James and his friends. They had to settle some scores.  
  
"How much do you know? " Sirius said. He was angry, Gabrielle could tell, she wasn't afraid; she was too self-confidant to be afraid of him. It could bad thing, but who knows?  
  
"Enough." she answered. They headed for the grand hall but walked to a deserted hallway; away from the rest of the school. Sirius gave her a mean look.  
  
"How much is enough?" 


	12. to the game!

"The fact that you're trying to become amigi illegally!" She said sternly "Trying, yes, but its difficult you know. I had to have McGonagall help me! And here you are trying to do it all yourself. The books in the library don't tell you everything, believe me I would know." She said, remembering the time she was learning to use her power.  
  
"So you had to steal the book form us?"  
  
"I didn't steal it! You stole if from me!"  
  
"No, you left it in the common room, unattended." James said, with a smug look on his face.  
  
"Well you didn't help the fact!" She said in return. "Prince was breathing down my back!"  
  
"Not our fault." Sirius said. Peter and Remeus both stood behind James and Sirius. They obviously didn't want trouble. Gabrielle wanted trouble, desperately.  
  
"So what's your motive? All fugitives have motives."  
  
"Fugitives?" James asked, thinking the fact that she called them fugitives laughable.  
  
"Wait!" She said before they could say another word. "I heard something."  
  
"What?" James asked. Looking around. Gabrielle took out her wand.  
  
"There's someone there." She turned into a hound, and started searching for whoever, and whatever was in that deserted corridor. She found Snape; he was in a room, his face pressed against the wall. There were instruments on the floor. They were obviously the noise she heard. She turned into herself.  
  
"Snooping, eh Snape?" James said from behind her. Snape spun around, mortified. He took out his wand. Gabrielle disabled him with a spell as soon as she saw the wand.  
  
"Lets keep this clean, shall we?" She said. She looked at James he seemed calm and confident, but she could see through that. Snape could have heard them, but if he didn't hear them coming it was doubtful he could've heard what they were saying.  
  
"You know what happens to people who snoop on others?" Sirius said, gripping his wand tightly. Gabrielle looked at him sternly.  
  
"He's unarmed Sirius, what are you going to do?" She said.  
  
"Absolutely nothing," a voice said from behind them. Gabrielle dropped Snape's wand. It was Gurrow. "What exactly was he snooping in on that was so important, I wonder." She added.  
  
"Nothing Professor. We were just talking." James said innocently.  
  
"In the abandoned corridor. No one goes here anymore." Gurrow said. Snape moved behind Gurrow, for his own protection.  
  
"We like our privacy." James said.  
  
"Obviously." She said, and then turned to Gabrielle. "Gabrielle! Snape is missing his wand, will you return it to him?"  
  
"Yes professor" She said blushing. She picked it up off of the floor.  
  
"You will precede to diner," she said to them. They walked down the corridor. The Grand hall was around the corner.  
  
"Do you think she heard anything?" Remeus whispered.  
  
"I guess we'll see, but you didn't tell me what your motive is."  
  
"We don't plan to" James said, looking back at his friends, and back at Gabrielle. She became furious, and went over to Morgain. This meant She would try twice as hard to find out. It was how she worked.  
  
"Do you think we'll need her help." Peter asked looking over at Gabrielle.  
  
"Of course not!" James said.  
  
"We can do it all our selves." Sirius said, agreeing with James. Peter grew nervous, he wasn't sure.  
  
Meanwhile, Gabrielle was explaining everything Morgian.  
  
"Hate him. Hate him. Hate him!" she said ripping a napkin to shreds.  
  
"Really, Gabrielle. I bet you could figure it out without them telling you." Morgian said, trying to calm her friend down. Gabrielle looked up.  
  
"I think your right" her eyes lit up. Their friends joined them at the Gryffindor table.  
  
She was reading in the Gryffindor common room after quidditch practice, or at least that what she made is seem like she was doing. She had finished her homework at dinner and was now pretending to read, but was looking through a book with an invisibility spell on it so that her side of the book seemed invisible. She could see everything James and his lot was doing. There was the amigi book, and Lupin left the common room. Soon it got boring; they weren't doing anything so she started playing with her wand. She started turning her book into other things, like a cat, and a candle. Soon that got boring too, and she became tired. So she decided to bring the book upstairs and come back as an animal to investigate further. She walked up the steps to her dormitory and placed the book in her bag. She said goodnight to the others in their room, and turned into a cat again. She walked down the steps cautiously and entered the room.  
  
"Now don't try to pull that one off again," someone said behind her. She spun around, and meowed, she meant to say James in surprise, but that's all that would come out. Given she's a cat at the moment. She turned into her old self.  
  
"Well, it could've worked if-  
  
"If what?" Sirius interrupted.  
  
"If. Um. If only Pettigrew saw me." Gabrielle said. "Sorry Pettigrew." She added.  
  
"None taken." he said.  
  
"Stop trying Orwood"  
  
"I won't," she said, putting her hands on her hips and giving them all a forceful glance and stomped up to the dormitory.  
  
Hate them. Hate them. Hate them. Hate them. Hate them. Hate them all! She wrote.  
  
She was so angry she made a tear in the piece of parchment she was using to write Morgain a letter.  
  
They wont tell me! How dare they! There sooooo incredibly rude. I swear. Don't even know how I liked James. Wait what am I saying? I didn't and I never will! She added onto the letter. In her fury, she ripped it as she folded it (don't ask how) but repaired it with her wand and gave it to hero after sighing in it of course.  
  
Morgain read the letter, stroking Hero. The light from a candle on her bedside table lit it up. She laughed when she read it. Gabrielle did like James, she knew it, and it was funny seeing her pretend she didn't sometimes. This will all blow over soon enough, she thought. Laura asked her what she was laughing about. 


	13. sick

She woke with a horrible headache. Then it worsened to a headache, a sore thought, a stomachache, and a stuffy nose as she got up and got ready. She felt horrible, and only held her head up with her hand during history of magic. She tried to pay attention, she really did. She tried not to seem childish, which was normally the case when she was sick. She hated having to rely on other, except for her mum. With her mum she would wine just like she was five again (not to mention turning the medicine into something yummy). It was odd, but it was something she did, but she didn't like it right now, especially with James and his lot around to bother her. She would hate for them to see her like this, but it was too late. She tried her best to act tough though. She wrote down some notes on the subject, pirates:  
  
Pirates  
1. Wizard fugitives who stole goods from muggle ships  
2. Pirates code is their law  
3. Enchanted their treasure maps to fool muggles that  
stumble upon them  
4. Maps enchanted to show viewer (that's not the captain  
that made the map) the treasure is miles away from were  
it actually is  
  
She stopped when their teacher lost track of his notes. She rolled her eyes. He was a ghost, they say he just died one day and got back up to teach, without his body. He was sweet but very absent minded. He paid no attention to the students, just the lesson. He often called Gabrielle an entirely different name like "Georgia," or "Brittany." She closed her eyes. She felt horrible, but she didn't want to go to the nurse, she hated showing any sign of weakness. Plus, she would miss too much work. Her nose was stuffed, and her head was throbbing. She put her head on her history of magic book, and only opened her eyes when she heard Professor Binns start talking again. She opened her eyes and saw James staring at her, he seemed worried, and maybe she looked red. She ignored him and laid her arms and her head on her desk and barely lifted her hand to write. Her heavy, throbbing head became heavier. Her eyes began to loose their focus, and her had lain motionless on her piece of parchment. Ink stains covered the hand on the parchment, from words on her notes that had not dried. She felt a hand on each shoulder, shaking her awake.  
  
"No! No! I want to finish studying!" she said in her sleep. She often said it in worry. her friends always stopped her from over working, as she tended to do. She heard a couple of different laughs behind her and pried open her eyes and lifted her heavy head off the desk. The class was empty, other than James, Sirius, Remeus and Peter. They were all smiling at her; she stood up quickly, but became so dizzy she fell back into her chair. They all moved towards her, attempting to catch her, but she fell too quickly. She got up, furious with herself for falling asleep. She lifted her hand off the desk and the piece of parchment came with it. She pealed the parchment off of her hand, ignoring the snickers from the boys in front of her. She heaved her bag desperately, but took out her wand and made it feather-light. She lifted it and walked out of the room. The boys followed her  
  
"Er. Thank you for waking me up" she said as they ran up to her.  
  
"No problem." James said, smiling.  
  
"Gabby, you should really go to the nurse." Remeus said.  
  
"Don't be silly." She said. They all rolled their eyes. Sirius whispered to James  
  
"You think we have to do it by force?" James smiled. Gabrielle staggered and fell, but heaved herself up, not letting anyone help her.  
  
"Cummon, Gabby. Let us take you to Madame Pomfrey, we promise we'll get all of your work for you" James said sweetly to her. She eyes him and said  
  
"Very funny, now excuse me. I don't want to be late for class, and she picked up the pace that she was walking in." Remeus said  
  
"Stubborn one, issn' she?" They all smiled in return, started following her and just as they caught up to her she collapsed. James, who thankfully had great reflexes, caught her before she hit the ground. She looked up at her and blushed furiously that stood out against her sickly pale face.  
  
"I'll be fine," She mumbled. James only smiled and picked her up and took her to the Hospital wing.  
  
"Good heavens!" Madame Pomfrey said, looking at Gabrielle "It should t take that long to get her here!"  
  
"You don't know half of it." Sirius said. Gabrielle folded her arms. Madame Pomfrey brought a bubbling potion to Gabrielle's bedside table. She wrinkled her nose; she could smell all the way form the bed that she was laying on, and it didn't smell good. Madame Pomfrey handed it to her, and she held it, plugging her nose. The rest laughed at her. She drank it and when she finished had the most disgusted look on her face. The others made faces to match hers.  
  
"Now, now Gabby dear, get some rest. Boys, you head off to class. It was nice that you dragged her hear, but you have classes to go to. I believe." They headed out the door. Gabrielle called after James.  
  
"You promised to get my work remember!" James looked back at her and smiled his charming smile. She couldn't help squirming. She daydreamed a little and fell asleep. She was asleep for hours and hours then she was awakened by Morgain; who just rushed into the hospital wing to fill her in on what she had missed out on.  
  
"Gabrielle?!" Williams said, he came from lunch to see what happened. "If this is some way of getting me to let you be chaser-  
  
"NO! It isn't!" She said. "I blame James, he made me come to the nurse."  
  
"Well, you better get to the game tomorrow! Ravenclaw is playing slitherin!" he said. "What's wrong with you anyways?"  
  
"I have a cold. Madame Pomfrey says its because I'm working myself to hard."  
  
"Well then stop working!" he said. She rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"I'll get out of here." She said.  
Later on, Madame Pomfrey was giving her the same disgusting potion.  
  
"How long will it take until I can get out of bed?"  
  
"Oh, at least a couple of days more." Madame Pomfrey said, handing Gabrielle the goblet.  
  
"Will there be any chance of me being excused tomorrow so I can watch the game?"  
  
"Definitely not! It will just make things worse!" Gabrielle spit out some of the potion.  
  
"Please?"  
  
"No" Gabrielle frowned. But then her owl, Hero swooped into the room and landed on the banister of the bed she was laying on. She took of the letter off of his leg and read:  
  
I'm so exited Gabby! The big game is tomorrow! I'm surprised the slitherins aren't figuring out clever ways of injuring me so I can't play. They are making comments instead, comments that Sebastian kicked them down for if you get my drift. I'll be sure to tell you everything that happens, don't you dare try sneaking out! I'm glad James brought you to the Hospital wing! Seriously gabby, I won't always be there to take care of you. With love,  
  
Morgian  
  
She got a quill and ink form her bag that was on the foot of her bed and wrote back. I'm not promising anything As soon as she finished writing she heard the door open and saw Morgian rush out over to her.   
  
"Gaby!!" she cried and ran over to her best friend. "You look a lot better."  
"Thanks. I got your note. Tell me about the halls thing!" she said and pulled out Morgain's note, and handed her reply to Morgain.  
"Well..." Morgain smiled. "Sebastian ran over to me before Transfiguration, and his friends looked at me funny. Well more like "checked me out". " She did a quoting motion with her hands. Gabrielle shot up her eyebrows. "Then Sebastian got mad. Then after Transfiguration I walked by them and Stephan yelled 'hope you wear that skirt to the game tomorrow' or something. Yeah..." Morgain stopped, holding Gabreille's letter in her hands,still unopened.  
"You know his name?" Gabrielle asked, curious.  
"Oh yeah, because at lunch he interrupted my conversation with Spike." Morgain replied not giving many details.  
"So he was the same guy that called out the skirt thing?" Gabrielle asked.  
"Yeah." Morgain was slightly embarrassed.   
"What did he want at lunch?"   
"Umm...well at first it seemed like he was trying to intimidate me before the game, but it ended up a bit differently. He's the Slitherin seeker." Morgain explained. Now she was uncomfortable. 'What is Gabrielle going to say?'  
"You are really confusing me!" Gabrielle laughed. "Let me guess, he ended up flirting with you."  
Morgain giggled and said yes. Gabrielle joined in and the giggling turned into great fits of laughter. They didn't know why they were laughing really, but this whole thing seemed really funny. James interrupted them.  
"Ahem." he coughed. The two girls stopped laughing and turned to him.  
"May we help you?" Morgain asked playfully.  
"I came to check on this stubborn patient. Why were you laughing to hard?" he replied. The girls just looked at each other and laughed again.  
"N-nothing." Gabrielle said and chuckled.  
"Right. Here's your homework." James handed Gabrielle some books and parchment.  
"Thanks James." she took it and looked through it and asked while she was reading some of it. "Were the classes hard? Did I miss anything important?" she looked up at James with her bottle green eyes.  
"No not really." he answered. "I just had to finish our love potion in class today" Morgain stopped listening to what they were talking about and started humming a familiar song, both Gabrielle's and Morgain's favorite. She started humming "Once Upon A Dream" from Disney's Sleeping Beauty. (Disney is a wizard who started off with books and then went on to making motion pictures for muggles to make money because he found muggles do like the idea of magic, just not the reality of it. Therefore she would know him) Gabreille saw Morgain walk away with a look on her face, a look that made her uncomfortable. "I'll be back in a few." she told Gaby and walked out the door. She kept talking to James, though concentrating more on Morgain, and still had her eye on the door. Then, she had a quick vision of Morgain falling into Sirius's arms. After it ended she shook her head and smiled the same smile that Morgian used and made Gabrielle uncomfortable. James gave her a confused look and she pretended it didn't happen and talked to him some more. Then they started arguing, which was what they normally did. This time it was about the homework load, it was all important, Gabrielle knew because she read through it. He sat on the end of her bed. she even sat up. She liked fighting with him, she just found it fun, and she guessed it was her competitive gene that did it. One thing leads to another, and the common argument came up again, why James and his friends became amigi illegally.  
"Tell me James! Tell me now!" Gabrielle was ordering James.  
"No I won't! There is nothing to tell. Right Sirius?" He looked at Sirius, finally verifying his presence in the room. He Hd been standing there most of the time their argument had been taking place with Morgain, but you know how James and Gabrielle get;. When they start fighting nothing can interfere.   
"Right." Sirius seemed to catch on to what the argument was about. Morgain did too. It was about their illegal amigus training. Gabrielle had an argument with them for a few days or weeks ago, Morgain wasn't sure. The night before she followed them to the Room of Requirement and observed their lesson. Basically she saw their petty attempts to turning themselves into animals, which was exactly what made her angry. She needed McGonagall's help to control her powers and there they are trying to get those same powers that she had naturally without any help, and she wouldn't stop when you got her started about them becoming amigi illegally and for no apparent reason (as they said over and over again). Morgain looked like she knew what they all were talking about, she did learn that Gabrielle was an amigus years ago in her third year.   
"Tell us why you're trying to do it! Common just tell us!" Morgain begged. She was curious too.  
"No! There is no purpose in it! We just wanted to try it!" James defended himself very well, making sure he didn't say exactly what it was that they were trying to do. It would have been really stupid if Madam Promfey found out.   
"Grrrr..." Gabrielle was not happy. Madam Promfey rushed into the scene shooing Morgain, James and Sirius out of the wing.  
"Gabrielle needs her rest and upsetting her is not helping her! Now go or I'll call the Headmaster." They left Gabrielle in a very annoyed mood; she picked up the first book and started doing her work.   
"Well see you around." Morgain muttered and walked to her common room to get her books. They muttered 'bye' back at her and left too. Later that day, Jamie and Shannon came to visit her, they all ended up doing homework on Gabrielle's bed, laughing and talking like they always did meanwhile. 


	14. to the game!

Everything was quiet in the hospital wing that morning, except when Madame Pomfrey dropped something and it smashed on the floor. Gabrielle woke with a start, and drowsily looked At Madame Pomfrey to see what happened. There was a smoking puddle on the ground, she pulled the covers over her head after she saw, but Madame Pomfrey went up to her bed and decided to giver her a potion to drink before she went to bed. After drinking the potion she couldn't fall asleep because the bad taste would give her nightmares, well that's what she said to Madame Pomfrey to answer her question. Gabrielle knew it probably wasn't true. She just sat on her bed looking out the window. . Gabrielle felt better, but not perfect. Most of it was physiological and Madame Pomfrey had tested new forms of healing on Gabrielle. Yesterday, she had learned to meditate like they did in china. She tried to levitate, but she had to practice. She was bored and zoned out for a little, but once she saw someone walking on the school grounds she took a closer look (she pinned herself against the glass window). She could've sworn one of them was Morgain, but the other, boy, she didn't know. They walked for a while, and then she saw them waltzing! Out of no ware! She burst out laughing and wouldn't take her eyes off of Morgian and this boy. Surprisingly, Morgain looked as if she was enjoying it as much as Gabrielle was enjoying watching it. Madame Pomfrey tried to look through the window to see what was happening, but Gabrielle distracted her by accidentally pushing over a glass on her bedside table with her hand. It was really a mistake, no lies, when she heard Madame Pomfrey coming she nervously swung her arm towards the night table. Her reflexes had saved her and Morgian, once again. Now Madame Pomfrey was picking up the mess mumbling  
  
"Everything was so peaceful until this girl came."  
  
She stood up and threw out the scraps of glass into a garbage pale in her office. Gabrielle let herself sink into her bed and peered through the window. There was no one there anymore, but she could have sworn she heard screaming. She lay down for a while longer, thinking. Hours went by until she heard:  
  
"Gabby!" Morgain called from the door in her usual designer clothing.  
  
"Morgain!" she called back, smiling. Morgian walked up to Gabrielle's bed and she gave Morgain a look. "I know what you were up to this morning." She said playfully.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Don't pretend that you didn't have an incredibly romantic morning!" she said. Morgain soon understood what she was talking about and blushed. The blush gave Gabrielle a satisfactory smile on her face. "So you want to know-"  
  
"Yes, full details." She said cutting in on Morgain's sentence."First of all, who is he?"  
  
"Stephan, you know Sebastian's friend."  
  
"You mean the one your playing against today?"  
  
"Yes." "Interesting." Now Gabrielle wasn't the one to say he was the "enemy" or anything, as competitive as she was. she acted as if he was any other guy. So tell me." she started up again "How did you bump into him?" Gabrielle instantly saw something was up when she saw Morgain's expression after she asked her question. Morgian looked like she swallowed something disgusting, something like the potion Gabrielle had to drink. She seemed worried too but, she sighed and told her what had happened: Morgian told Gabrielle how she had been wandering in the morning in search of the kitchens, and ended up going through the barrier to the slitherin common room. The slitherin common room was the most protected common room from non-slitherins, so it was odd that she got through. The reason for her being uneasy about the fact was that being able to go into the slitherin common room made Morgian like the rest of the family, which was not a good thing.  
  
"Morgy, we all know you're the oddball in the family. Don't worry." She said after Morgain had finished her story, reassuring to her that she was not like everyone else in her family, her family was pureblood after all, and Morgain was the only one in her family that had her heart in the right place, and her thinking it was untrue wasn't the most uplifting thing. Gabrielle normally couldn't get serious about things, but it did make Morgian smile. "And anyways, if you were like the rest of your family you wouldn't be put in Ravenclaw. The sorting hat isn't that old, I mean it sorted everyone else in the right house. So maybe you just have to live up to your house or something." She added. They talked for a while longer, and Morgian had to go to the game soon. Gabrielle told her before she left "You know you're not like the rest of your family, but you are definitely starting to fall in love with someone just like the rest of your family."  
  
Madame Pomfrey was rushing around the wing, getting work done. She watched Madame Pomfrey. 'Hmmmm. When would the best time to sneak out be?' she thought to herself. "By any chance would you be going to the quidditch game today?" she asked.  
  
"Yes dear, it's my duty. You know how violent those games could get-" she stopped and suspiciously looked at Gabrielle. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well-"  
  
"This cant be an attempt to sneak to the game could it? I knew I shouldn't have let Williams come in here!" she ranted.  
  
"But! But I want to go! I'll be missing out! This is an important game and I'm keeper for-"  
  
"I very well know you are keeper for Gryffindor! And you have to be healthy to play!"  
  
"I am healthy! or healthy enough."she said. Madame Pomfrey ignored her and went to get her cloak from her office. She eyed Gabrielle sternly.  
  
"I have informed all staff of you being ill and they will bring you right back if you try anything!" and she shut the door behind her, She sighed, she hated disobeying the teachers, she knew it was horrible but she had to see that game! She didn't know why but she had a feeling, I mean a feeling other than curiosity and wanting to do her duty as keeper, a feeling that something bad might happen. She waited until she was certain that Madam Pomfrey was far away, and then she got out of her sleeping clothes and dressed in the school uniform because everyone else wore them to these things. She liked the uniform; she didn't know why Morgian always fretted about it. She felt that she belonged to something great when she wore them; she knew it was corny, but the fact that she loved gold, white and scarlet helped a lot to liking the school uniforms. She turned into the same thing she normally is, the same blonde tabby cat. She walked out of the hospital wing, and then saw someone go in at the door at the opposite end of the wing. She peered inside through the crack in the door. It was James! And she did nothing to the bed to make it seem she was still there. She ran in front of him to stop him from getting to close to the bed, but it gave her away more than anything. He smiled, he saw her in that form before. She turned into her old self. "Really Orwood, your not good at sneaking out." She shrugged, and said  
  
"I need more practice," and realized the situation "you are not keeping me here! I am going to that game!"  
  
"Of course you are," he said casually.  
  
"I am?" she said, confused. She shook her head realizing what she said sounded odd, "I mean your not stopping me?" When she got no answer other then a smile form him whole he was rearranging the pillows to look like her. "Why not?"  
  
"Morgian didn't make me promise this time." He said, "and besides your better now." She didn't say anything. He enchanted the pillow to make a snoring noise. Gabrielle scowled at him and changed it; she made a movement from her throat to the pillow and mumbled a spell. Instantly the snore changed to deep breathing that sounded like Gabrielle sleeping.  
  
"So what did you have planned?" she asked curiously.  
  
"I don't know, you're the brains of this operation." he replied shrugging. She turned into the cat she normally turned into, but this time it was smaller. She ran over to her bag and went into it. James got her point and followed her. He picked up the bag, and set out for the game. They went out the door and Williams bumped into James.  
  
"Sorry James." He said walking towards the door. James stood in front of him.  
  
"Why do you want to go into the Hospital wing?" he said.  
  
"Wondering if Gabrielle got a way out or not."  
  
"Well, she's sleeping. Tired out, poor thing." Gabrielle had every intention of hitting him right now, but it wouldn't help the situation. Willaims made a face.  
  
"She should be there! I told her to get a way out!"  
  
"She's sick!" James said, "You have to sort out your priorities Williams." He walked away leaving him with his thoughts until Willams called after him.  
  
"Hey isn't that her bag?" 


	15. the attack of the cluncky shoes

James walked briskly through the hallways, down to the quidditch pitch. Gabrielle peered out of an opening in the bag. She saw students walking by, talking excitedly about the game. Soon James was walking up the many stairs to get up to the stands. The fabric covering the beams of wood holding the stands and stairs up were gold and scarlet, the Gryffindor house colors. When he walked up the stairs she heard Sirius's voice, Peter's voice, and Remeus's voice all calling him over to their seats. When he reached them they all started talking James's friends were informed that Gabrielle was in the bag, so she wasn't paying much attention. She knew they wouldn't say anything good while they knew she was in the bag. She heard more people pile into the stands, more chattering, and then she heard cheers from everyone but the Slitherins, who were booing. She knew that was when the Ravenclaw players came onto the field. Then she heard booing from everyone but the slitherins because their team had come onto he field. A whistle sound and Malcolm, her Gryffindor friend with the long blonde hair, commentating the game. She saw everything in the middle of the field with the opening. She saw the players go up into the air. She also saw Morgain scanning the stands; she saw James, Sirius, Peter and Remeus. Then she saw Morgain roll her eyes and start paying attention to the game. Gabrielle was afraid Morgain would see her because she had good eyesight and could probably figure out that Gabrielle was there. She didn't want Morgian to worry either, not while she had to play. During the begging of the game, she only saw players swoop by her line of vision, but she heard Malcolm cementation clearly. Slitherin was beating Ravenclaw by 10 so far, and was slowly gaining points. The Ravenclaw team wasn't as good as Slitherin, but she heard that Morgain was looking for the snitch, and when the Slitherins had gained 30 points and Malcolm announced that Morgian was speeding towards the snitch James moved his hand over the bag Gabrielle was sitting in out of excitement. She had a little opening, which she looked through, but James just moved the bag, and the opening she used was closed. She desperately tried to create the opening again without being seen, it didn't really work, and she wasn't very used to paws. She desperately wanted to see what was happening, and she didn't catch the last few words that Malcolm said because she was busy playing with the flaps, trying to get a way to have a peephole again. Some one bumped into the bag, and Gabrielle and the bag were pushed over. She fell onto the floor in front of the seat that she had been sitting on. She tried to hold on to the long wooden plank, but it was very hard when you're in a sack, and she fell down through the bottom of the stands were everyone was sitting on. She was lucky that James and his friends decided to sit on the far end of the stands, so she could avoid being slammed into the stairs leading up to the stands. Her only fear now was falling onto a beam. She didn't know what to do, she was falling quickly and she couldn't think of any animal to turn into fast enough, so she turned into her old self. Her long legs were stuck in the bag, but the upper part of her body was free to move around. She absentmindedly grabbed a beam she had came across when falling. Right about now, everyone had noticed, mainly because James had screamed "Gabrielle" when he noticed she had fallen. Her success from not hitting the first two beams was because everyone was watching her, and James, and Sirius took out their wands to help her. The students on those stands had run down the stairs to where she was. She pulled herself up and sat on the beam, regretting wearing the school uniform because it included wearing a plaid skirt, and then she took the bag off of her legs. She did get it of with some trouble, and stood up and spread her arms out, ready to walk the beam over to the students. Some had found their way to the bottom of the stands, and were watching from the ground. Gabrielle ignored the yells from below about her skirt. She held her arms out like a trapeze artist walking the tightrope, with her bag in one of her hands and her big, High-heeled, clunky black shoes on her feet. She walked a few steps, but the big clunky shoes were not good on the beam and she practically flew off of the beam, because she tripped over herself. She grabbed a hold of the beam, and when her arms were holding on she thought "Not a good time to be clumsy!" She really, really regretted her attire for the game today. She pulled herself up again, but this tome took off her shoes and held them in one hand, and the bag in the other. Once she reached the end James Practically picked her up off of the beam and placed her on the stairs and hugged her tightly. Her ears went red, and she covered them with her hair. Sirius came up to her and mumbled something, but she didn't hear it because Jamie and Shannon ran through the crowd and hugged her. While telling her how mortified they were to see her in such danger. She put her shoes back on as soon as she could and after she did Madame Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall, Professor Gurrow, and Professor Dumbledore came. When seeing the teachers, she got the biggest knot in her stomach. If Dumbledore was there, she knew she had done something horrible. She bent her head down, but quickly took a deep breath and looked up. Madame Pomfrey walked up to her with a angry look and screeched. "I told you. I told you Gabrielle Orwood!" Gabrielle jolted her head back from the impact of her words. "Have you ever heard the saying curiosity killed the cat?" "How ironic," Professor Dumbledore said, for she had in fact been a cat while falling. "So maybe I should turn into something else next time?" she said hopefully. Professor Dumbledore smiled, but the other teachers grew even angrier. She felt like cowering back but didn't, she would take the pressure. She was, in fact, curious why Dumbledore was smiling. She did fail to obey the rules didn't she? Maybe he knew something she didn't. Her actions could be said to be noble, in an odd way. She did come because she had a weird feeling about this game. "I am sorry I have to do this." Professor McGonagall said. Ad a good student like you too" she added, shaking her head. "Girls should do what they are told!" Professor added. "You could have died form you little mishap- "Thank you Professor Gurrow, I believe she is aware of her mistakes and is ready to take her punishment," Dumbledore said, looking at Professor McGonagall, reminding her to give Gabrielle her Punishment. "I will have to take 100 points from Gryffindor, and 50 to James and Serious for saving her, and all three of you will have detention this evening with me." McGonagall said. "All three of us?" Gabrielle said, confused. "Yes all three: you, Potter, and Black." "But. But Black had nothing to do with this!" She said. McGonagall eyed her suspiciously. " Forget him! I want to see punishment!" Professor Gurrow chimed in. "Why not detention on the Halloween dance?" "Thank you Professor, "but that is for Professor McGonagall to decide." He added. "You will all come to my office tonight at eight." She said and the teachers walked down the stairs talking how they wanted to know he outcome of the game. Odd as it was, all this did happen at the highlight of the game, and Gabrielle could hear the rest of the school in the quidditch pitch, she hoped that Ravenclaw won. James, Sirius, Remeus, Jamie, Shannon and Gabrielle walked down the stairs in a big group, Gabrielle in the front with James and Sirius and Peter following behind the group. James watched Gabrielle nervously. She was hoping the detention wouldn't be that bad, because this was her first detention ever. She was surprisingly calm about it, for no apparent reason. Her clunky boots struck again! She was hurled down the last the steps into he grass. Everyone behind her laughed, including Gabrielle herself.  
  
She tripped on her shoes again, but this time she wouldn't be in for as bad a fall as last time, which was about 8 flights of stairs, they were all near the bottom. Her eyes had gotten huge, and she swung forward, her blonde hair went into her face and she grabbed her wand, but James he seeker boy grabbed her before she fell. He had grabbed her by the waist and had pulled her towards him, but everyone behind them had fallen on top and they became a big dog pile at the bottom of the stairs, and James ended up being right on top of her. She pulled away instantly, another one of her desperate attempts to get away. They all laughed and Gabrielle shouted, "This is the last time I'm wearing these shoes!" James rejected the statement "No! I like these shoes!" he said, with his charming smile. Gabrielle squirmed uncomfortably, like she always did, when she saw that smile. They made it to the field, everyone was cheering on Ravenclaw's victory, but there was no sign of Morgain any ware. Gabrielle heard someone calling her name form the crowd. "Gabby!" she saw Laura run up to her, clearly out of breath form running. "Yes? What is it?" Gabrielle said. "Its Morgain, she just ran away after the team put her on their shoulders." "Really? That doesn't sound like her" Gabrielle knew Morgain would be thrilled that her team was proud of her, but she figured it was something to do with her opponent. She ran inside randomly, leaving her other friends behind her and Laura yelled after her. "And that Slytherin seeker ran after her!" Gabrielle skidded when she heard that, she turned around and looked to see if Laura was really telling the truth and went on into the school. She took out her wand and whispered a spell, and placed the wand on the palm of her hands and it spun around in circles and stopped in one direction. She ran in that direction. The spell she used was directing her to Morgian. She ran in circles, and had to stop after getting dizzy. She put her hands on her thighs, and breathed deeply, but then heard shouting not far away. She followed the voice and turned up in a hallway with paintings of fruits. She walked to a painting with a bowl of fruits and a huge pair that stood out to her, and she could have sworn that she heard something behind it. She took out her wand saying "tell me you secret" and suddenly She had a vision of Stephan tickling the pear on one of the paintings with Morgian on his side; as soon as she got out of the trance she shook her head. It made her even dizzier than she was before. Then she looked for the painting, but stopped and thought for a second. If that vision was from today it meant that Stephan wasn't mad at her as she thought he would be, she started to doubt that she would help Morgain from looking for her and stood their. Then she heard Stephan's yelling again and she went back to searching for the painting, she found it and stopped at it. She reached out and tickled the pair and the door opened to reveal the kitchens of the school, and in it she saw a long wooden table with elves all around it. On the walls hung pots and pans and cooking utensils and on the far side she saw a big fireplace. She saw Morgian sitting along the table with tears in her eyes and hot chocolate, with cookie on the table beside her and Stephan yelling "Damn you Lestrage!" and there sat Morgian, puffy eyed, looking terribly helpless. 


	16. detention

"Bit of a soar looser aren't you, Avery?" "Bugger off bloody half blood," Stephan said, sneering at Gabrielle , her grip on her wand tightened, and the house elves in the kitchens carried all three of them out into he hallway.  
  
"Yelling at Morgian because she won the game!" she said back as she was carried. "How dare you!" She stood up. "This is between me and Morgian not some bi-" Stephan said, but Morgian interrupted him. "Stephan calm down! Gabrielle please, let me talk to him for a minute." Morgain said and looked at Gabrielle desperately. "Fine. But ill be close by so ill know if he tried something." She said and stomped off. She sat at the end of the corridor, behind the corner so they couldn't see her but she could hear them. She heard them both whispering. "Please just listen to me" Morgian said to Stephan quietly." I'm sorry, in the game I just turned into a Lestrage and left everything that's me behind." Gabrielle could hear Morgian cry. Gabrielle peered behind the corner to see if this was really happening. She thought it was Stephan who had done the wrong thing, not Morgain. Then she heard Morgian speak again. "If I could take it back I would but I cant and I'm sorry that all the slitherins are going to be mad at you. Please don't be mad at me". Gabrielle's face was pierced with dread; she thought it was Stephan who did the un-fair playing in the game! She didn't know it was Morgain's fault! She figured Stephan was angry with her because she won the game fairly and he had to slam into her, Gabrielle hit her head on the cold wall behind her. "Stupid-stupid-stupid" she whispered while she hit her head. She figured she would have Morgian tell her what happened after wards. Then she heard Stephan say Morgain's name, and her answer back with "mmmmhmmmmmm." Then to her surprise she heard. "Fine then, don't look at me, I can kiss you all the same." She heard him say with attitude. WHAT? Gabrielle thought, she resisted and didn't look back, she felt like crawling away, but instead she put her arms down on the floor holding her up, and leaned against the wall, her legs on the cold floor. Then she heard Stephan apologize, and Morgain replying, telling him there was no reason for him to do so. She heard some whispering that she couldn't make out clearly, she leaned closer to them hoping to hear something, they obviously don't want me hearing, I've meddled enough she thought and sat there with arms folded all she heard next was "Lets shower together this time," It was Stephan who said it. Gabrielle's face went red How dare he! uuuh that is positively disgusting she squirmed horribly and made a face, but then she was happy to hear Morgain's response. "Uhhhh.how about NO!" Gabrielle heard it as clear as a bell. Then Stephan mumbled about having to get out his wand because someone was going to kill him. From then on she couldn't hear anything, then she saw Stephan barge past her, not even looking back to smile evilly at Gabrielle, he just walk by with a grin on his face. She almost said sorry to him for blaming him for all of it, but a part of her knew he would take it to his advantage and never let her live it down. She sat on the floor, waiting for Morgian to walk up to her, and when she did they started talking. "Could you please tell me what happened?" she sighed and started with her story. It started with the part she left off at last time in the hospital wing. In the game, she noticed Sirius give her a mean look after she smiled at Stephan. Stephan had been tailing her, and knew her "secret weapon" because Sebastian told him. He took that time to flirt with her a little and when they both saw the snitch they went for it until Morgian figured that if she didn't slam into him, he would and he would end up getting the snitch so she slammed into him. She ended up getting the snitch. She felt horrible because she acted just like a Lestrage would, and now his house is going to give him trouble. She knew Morgian felt badly about this, and she comforted her and they walked away form the corridor. "Shouldn't you be in the hospital wing?" Morgian asked her. "OH yeah! I forgot! Madame Pomfrey will definitely have my head" they ran the rest of the way to the hospital wing; as soon as they entered Madame Pomfrey walked up to Gabrielle and handed her a vile of the potion she was taking and Gabrielle's things that she had in the hospital saying. "Go Gabrielle. You're healthy enough. Just drink that tonight and TAKE IT EASY!" obviously Madame Pomfrey had enough of her, so Gabrielle tried being as polite as she could and left the hospital. Morgian burst out laughing as soon as the door closed behind them. "I should bring this to the common room." Gabrielle said, ignoring Morgain's laughter. Morgian laughed on, and said she would meet up with Gabrielle later between laughs. Gabrielle walked off to the Gryffindor common room, with her things in her arms. "Toads stool," she said to the plump lady in the pink dress. "Dear! I haven't seen you in a while now! My friend Caroline downstairs told me you were ill and I was so worried-" "Er. Thanks" Gabrielle said, edging the lady on so she could get through the portrait. The portrait swung open and she said thank you to her as she climbed through the portrait hole, which was a bit hard for her because she was carrying the things she had in the Hospital wing in her arms. When she entered the common room she saw James and his friends in the corner around a table, near her favorite chair. They wee all huddled around the table and looked interested in what they were talking about. She tried walking to the girls' dormitories without being seen, but James saw her and looked up and smiled. "Oy! Orwood!" Sirius said when he saw who James was looking at. "Pomfrey let you go?" "No!" she shouted back across the room, she loved being loud like this. "Pomfrey kicked me out," they all laughed and she smiled and walked up the stairs, her shoes making loud hollow sounds when her feet hit each stair. She threw everything on her bad, still smiling, then found her trunk and put everything inside. She walked down the stairs when she heard James and Sirius calling her down a while later. She ended up reading on her bed, but they called her down so she put down the book and walked down the steps to see what was going on. "We have detention soon. Remember?" James said to her. "Oh yeah." She answered, "What do you suppose McGonagall will make us do?" "You know." Sirius said, not intending on answering her question "you're pretty calm about this, being the goody-two-shoes you are." She glared at him. Then James started "You know Sirius, you're right!" she eyed at both of them this time and walked towards the portrait hole, they followed along behind her, laughing. Once they left the common room and walked down the corridor. . "Gabrielle why did you try keeping me from detention and not James?" Sirius said. "Well you weren't a part of this," she said, but then the look on his face told her otherwise. "Oh" she said and they walked on to McGonagall's office. They entered, and saw her at her desk correcting papers. She looked up at them when they walked up to her desk, then she got up and walked out of the room, not saying a word or looking at them in the eye. They followed her. They walked down stairs to the ground level, past the grand hall, and past the entrance hall into the deserted hallway that Gabrielle remembered to be the one they fought at, while being spied on by Snape. They hadn't had any trouble form him, and it was probably because he was bad at spying. He didn't even hear them coming over to him! They walked into a room with a high glass paneled ceiling, though it was covered with grime and only let in spots of light. The room was filled with tables, chairs and materials. 


	17. practice

"You will take down that wall" McGonagall said pointing to the right of her to a wall covered with bookcases, the wall didn't reach the ceiling, so Gabrielle figured the glass ceiling extended to the other room. "And you will clean it up for the ball on Friday, I do hope you're good at decorating because you will be doing that too." "What?" James said, clearly unhappy by the task.  
"Yes James, you will do all this, be happy I'm letting you use your wands." She walked down the corridor. They all moaned, this would be hard work, and they only had a week.  
"Did we do something that bad?" Sirius groaned. Gabrielle didn't say anything, she just walked into the room. She made the tip of her wand light up "Lumos." Then she walked around the room. It had statures and paintings in it, along with boxes of old vials. "I guess we should start on that wall," she said to James and Sirius, who were walking around the room with their wands out as well. They looked at her and considered. Sirius found torches under the heaps of dust on the walls. He blew off the dust off of the tip of a torch not far form him and lit it, then moved on to others along the wall. Gabrielle used a spell to move a bookshelf across the room. Some of the books fell out, and so she made them levitate to the top of the shelf after the shelf was in the opposite end of the room and let them drop so they landed on it. James moved the tables and chairs away form the wall, and after Sirius lit the room up, helped Gabrielle with the bookcases. Soon everything was away form the wall, and they were ready to demolish it until they heard a knock on the door. The heard a little squeaky voice behind it.  
"Hello, its Mr. Flitwick, can you open the door?" they all looked at each other, they completely barricaded the door with chairs to make room at the wall. Gabrielle stepped onto the tables, and walked from the table onto chairs and onto tables until she reached the door. She let the door levitate over her head and opened it.  
"Sorry Professor, we were working on the room." She said, and she suddenly felt she was no longer controlling the spell on the table levitating above her, and she looked behind her and saw James was controlling it now.  
"And it looks like you were doing a splendid job to!" he said cheerfully to Gabrielle. She looked at him, wondering why he came to see them. "I'm so sorry to bother you, but Professor McGonagall asked me to bring the decorations to you." Gabrielle looked behind him and saw boxes, with gold writing on them saying 'Halloween, and some cages with bats in them.' "I'm so glad you could help out with the festivities, oh and do call me when the bats get out of line." He said "Thank you sir." And she made the boxes and the cages levitate into the room, and put them on top of the many tables. She heard the table that used to be levitating over her hit the ground with a thud that echoed in the room.  
"Lets get to work" she said shrugging.  
They blasted the wall down and cleaned up the rubble with spells that they learned in and out of class. They cleaned up the glass ceiling first, they used their wands (of course) they let water shoot out of the ends to clean the glass above. They ended up getting very wet form it all, but the water did clean some of the things in the rest of the room. They soon discovered that the ceiling extended down to the far wall, and through it you could see the courtyard. They all spent time in that courtyard, but never new what was in the room. After cleaning the glass, they were all tired. They sat down on some tables in the end of the room to rest a little. James looked at his watch.  
"11:30" he said to them. Gabrielle's head was drooping, and just as it drooped lower the door was opened and the tables and chairs were moved over. Gabrielle was not only woken up, but she had to jump off of the table, and catch a cage of bats that almost hit the ground. In came Professor McGonagall from outside. She scanned the room, and said "Very good," she waved her wand and mumbled a spell and big silver curtains appeared on the glass window facing the courtyard. "I would like this kept a secret for the students, and you are to report back here at 8 o'clock in the evening tomorrow to continue your work."  
The three walked out of the room. They dragged their feet on the floor and their bodies were limp from the work they did. They walked to the Gryffindor common room. The lady in the pink dress didn't wake up until they all started screaming at her, and then she was irritated by them and reluctantly let them in, even though they knew the password. They al scurried through the portrait hole and entered the dark common room. It was only lit from the little light that came from the fire that was going out in the fireplace. They could hardly see the outlines of objects in the rooms. Sirius walked up to the boys' dormitories first, and only looked back when he noticed James was trying something.  
"Gabrielle!" he said taking a hold of her hand, she was walking up the stairs to the girls' dormitories, but he pulled her back down. She was too tired to fight with him right then. She hardly noticed he was leaning forward towards her; she was practically falling asleep standing up. She only woke up when his lips met hers; then her eyes sprung open to a worried look and she pulled away form him saying "Gerrof Potter!" and darted up the stairs. She heard him call up to her, saying "What you've never heard of a good night kiss before?" She plopped onto her bed, but then she pulled herself up to change into her sleeping clothes, and then plopped onto her bed again and fell asleep almost instantly, but only after noticing how much she was shaking. She had gotten into an uneasy sleep, but soon woke up in the middle of the night, and then she remembered the vile Madame Pomfrey gave her. She got out of bed and went through her trunk, and found the vile. She drank it, made the usual face; she still hadn't gotten used to the taste, and she went back to bed. The next day she woke much later than normally, by the time she was up and dressed she had missed breakfast. She walked down stairs into the common room, still rubbing her eyes. When Williams saw her his eyes lit up and he ran up to her. "Orwood!" he said as he ran up to her. "Fabulous! Now we can all practice for the upcoming game against Ravenclaw!" Gabrielle looked up at him, but didn't get the chance because he had shouted "Team! Practice. Right now!" She had rubbed her eyes again and started walking up stairs to get her broom, but James ran up to her before she reached the first step. "Orwood. No breakfast?" he asked. "I think I'll live. Potter." She answered.  
"You know the Halloween Ball is on Friday-"  
"I had no idea, thanks Potter," she answered without any emotion. She tried to get by James. Her mind was clouded and she didn't have the patience to deal with him right now, she soon gave up. This was the first, and the last time she would do this, she thought. "Please?" she said trying to get James let her get upstairs. He smiled at her and loosened but, but didn't move. She took the chance and ducked under his arm and ran up the stairs.  
By that time she was more awake; she hadn't had time to take the waking potion this morning, but she felt better. Her broom was rested on her shoulder and she was wearing her favorite beat up jeans and a white shirt with exceptionally long, narrow sleeves and the school robe on top. She stepped over a big mud puddle on the field. Williams took the liberty to yell at her for being late and she got onto her broom. He announced that the chasers would shoot at the hoops Gabrielle was defending, him and Quigley would practice with the bludgers and James would practice catching the snitch.  
Gabrielle, Jamie and Shannon used that time to talk; they hadn't had time to talk of past events.  
"Gabby, they hung up another sight. It was about the ball." Shannon said, looking very exited.  
  
"What, did they cancel it?" Gabrielle said, looking very hopeful.  
  
" 'Course not" Shannon replied, scolding Gabrielle. "They made it a costume party!"  
  
"Oh." Gabrielle said dully. Her hopes had been crushed.  
  
"So you cant tell us what you're doing for detention, huh?" Jamie said after a little while trying to break the silence.  
  
"Nope," Gabrielle said after blocking the quaffle form entering one of the hoops behind her.  
  
"We will know eventually?" Shannon asked.  
  
"Yes, most definitely." Gabrielle said.  
  
"Who are you planning to go to the Ball with Gabby?" Shannon asked, grinning. They really didn't get a chance to talk about it.  
  
"Great place to ask that" Gabrielle mumbled. The girls looked at her for an answer, or more like anyone within hearing range at the time the question was asked listened for an answer. "For your information, I don't plan on going."  
  
"Oh please!" Shannon said, "You said that last time and-"  
  
"And you ended up making me go. I'll let you know, this year will be different; I will not fall for one of you're ticks " Jamie and Shannon both laughed, Shannon did have a knack for making people do what she wanted. "Remember how bad it turned out last time?"  
  
"Oh please! That was ages ago!" Jamie said throwing the quaffle to the opposite of were Gabrielle was.  
  
"Well! He turned out horrible for me aaand, I felt like pulling out all of my hair after it" she said hitting the quaffle with her fist (to block it from going through the hoop) and diving down to catch it.  
  
"You're just not patient enough for him that's all." Shannon said catching the ball that was thrown at her from the other chaser, Donna Summers, and threw it towards the goal.  
  
"Oh please!" she said letting the ball go through. "He wouldn't stop asking for another date!"  
  
"So he was interested in you."  
  
"Maybe too interested in me, he asked that about five thousand times!" she said. "uhh" she groaned. "And I cant stand going out with someone I look related too!" she flinched, remembering the boy she went on a date with last, he had the exact same shade of blonde as her hair was, not to mention the same skin tone. Except for his eyes were a bright blue instead of a bottle green that she had. Luckily, Williams and Quigley were at the opposite end of the field while their discussion was going on, so Williams wouldn't make them do anything extra for talking. He soon called them all down when the sun was directly overhead, and it was getting hard to see the ball.  
  
"Nice job team." He said, "I think we'll do this tomorrow after classes too," and he let them go inside. The team walked together to the common room (except for Williams) to bring their things up before they would come down for lunch. Gabrielle talked with Jamie and Shannon for a while and hurried downstairs to meet Morgain. She found her with the Ravenclaws'; she noticed people's tension as she came near to Ravenclaw table. Everyone now knew that Ravenclaw would be playing Gryffindor next, but Gabrielle ignored it 


	18. meaningful dream

It's just a game, a fun game, but still just a game she thought. "Hullo" she said, sitting down next to Morgian, only she acted normally. By this time Morgian had found out about Gabrielle's fall during the game. Everyone knew about it after the game, news traveled very quickly in Hogwarts, then she told Morgian everything form her point of view (with lots of giggling, eye rolling, and plenty of sighs). They left the dining hall, and walked out to the library laughing. Gabrielle bumped into Flammel, who was holding scrolls and a stack of books (obviously coming from the library) he gave out a girly scream and through everything into the air. Looking back at it, Gabrielle would have laughed, but the look of pure terror told her otherwise. She tried comforting him, and started picking the things he dropped with her wand. She wouldn't take her eyes off of him, curious of what he was so nervous about. He scurried off down the hall after she placed the books in his hands. Still with her eyes on him she asked Morgian "What's wrong with him?" "Oh. He's been like that for a while," Morgian answered her. "Odd. I've never seen him like that" she said, as they walked into the library. "Oy Orwood!" she heard a familiar voice from one end of the room, all she had to do is follow Madame Prince's scolding glance and she found the source. Predictable she thought, it was Potter, then she saw him coming over to her. The chase begins; she knew what that look meant, it meant trouble for her. She was glad she hadn't brought her bag. Gabrielle went behind a bookcase in a very quick walk; she was looking for a specific book. She scanned the shelf she was in front of and pulled out a heavy book that took her down a foot with it, but she recovered and leaned it against the bookshelf's edge the cover read Hogwarts, a History. "Bingo" Gabrielle said to herself. "My thoughts exactly" she heard someone say behind her, She was being followed, what next? Gabrielle ignored James and walked to a table, he followed. She opened up the book, and he peered over her shoulder. She mumbled "The structure of Hogwarts.the stories. No, no. Aha!" she said, stopping at a chapter Rooms of Hogwarts!" She smiled and looked at it, maybe if she ignored him he wouldn't ask. She scanned the pages for any information. James was still looking at her from behind her, but he was smiling at her desperate attempt to get rid of him, he looked over her shoulder and asked a couple of stupid questions, which she ignored. Gabrielle heaved the heavy book into her arms and walked over to Madame Prince's desk. "So Gabby." James said, she knew were this was going, and she felt her whole body go numb. Save me she thought. "Gabrielle. Its due in a week." Madame Prince said, still not forgetting what happened with the amigus book.  
  
Morgain and Gabrielle walked into the Three Broom sticks, and heard laughter coming from students inside. Everyone turned to look particularly at Gabrielle, smiling. She didn't like those smiles, not one bit. She walked in cautiously and heard Professor Flitwick say "Don't worry lad, there is no doubt that she'll say yes after you sweep her off her feet like I told you." He said to James, while doing a weird motion with his hands. Gabrielle figured who it was that James wanted to 'sweep of her feet,' it was her; she clenched her teeth together and squinted her eyes. James looked incredibly Can't believe this is happening. She thought, and even worse the room was filled mainly with Slytherins. Right after Flitwick finished giving his advice to James he strolled out after the teachers, who were concealing their laughter like others in the room were. Gabrielle looked back at Morgian; she was shaking furiously, obviously holding back laughter too. She didn't want to look up when she started hearing the Slytherins reciting what Flitwick said to James, some of them edging him on to do it now. James had gone back to the table that he had been sitting at. It was over crowded with his Gryffindor friends; he was extremely popular after all. Most of them Gabrielle was friends with; she always did get along with the same people James did. Only, she didn't normally get along with James. Morgian pulled her over to the table she tried her best to get away from him. Then she heard Snape call to James.  
  
"Going to be tough Potter. Even the mudblood won't have you ask her to the ball" he said while the other Slytherins in the room laughed at heartily. James looked at him and whipped out his wants, and Sirius After him ready to back him up.  
  
"Say that to my face slime ball!" he said, clearly furious. Gabrielle hated this  
  
All of this because he made fun of me? She groaned. I hate this! I hate this I hate this! James had shot a curse at Snape, but he cursed and stood up with oozing sores on his face and shot another insult at him. When the lady that owned the three Broomsticks saw what happened she kicked them out instantly; Gabrielle followed them out, along with the many Slytherins that wanted to see the fight. James and Sirius were standing across form Snape, who had his friend behind him. There was a huge crowd around them; all of the Hogwarts students who were in the three broomsticks came out, leaving the pub deserted. Remeus and Pettigrew were behind James and Sirius, while Morgian tried to keep Gabriele far enough from ripping her hair out in aggravation, but she couldn't hold her back any longer. Gabrielle interfered like she always did with these things. She blocked a curse that was shot at Snape and stood in front of James telling him to cut it out. Snape while making James angry and making the Slytherins shout rude remarks about her saving his butt and that he should sweep her off her feet for that. "Correction" He said smiling "she saved your butt." He looked around Gabrielle (who was shouting at him) to see Snape's reaction. That made it all the worse. Sirius helped James out and jinxed Snape, who attempt to shoot a curse at Gabrielle and James. James got around Gabrielle and continued with Snape. Snape was on the ground, he had now grown an alligator's tail form one of Sirius's curses. He used the counter jinx on himself and the tail disappeared. He was furious, and saw now that Gabrielle was trying to stop Sirius and James at the same time. He took it to his advantage. He smiled an evil smile and shot a curse at Gabrielle. She had heard him say it and whipped around to block the curse, but James had started to go in front of her. Hoping to block it himself, and gain some respect from Gabrielle. Instead he didn't go fast enough and now Gabrielle couldn't block it and she got hit with it. She fell into Pettigrew and Remeus. Peter fell backwards from impact, but Remeus Held her up from the back. Morgain ceased the moment and shot a curse at snape. James helped Gabrielle up. She felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. She held her stomach with one hand and with her other she held her wand, her face turned obscene colors and she pointed her wand at her stomach and whispered the counter curse. She shot a furious glance at James, and walked away with the rest of them.  
  
This time they got away with fighting because they managed to pull everyone away from the Slytherins before a teacher showed up. "That was a close one" James said aloud. They were behind the candy shop, which was right beside the three broomsticks. Gabrielle was furious and wouldn't look James in the eye she wanted to get out of there, incase James did decide to sweep her off of her feet like Flitwick suggested. He wouldn't though, the look on her face told him otherwise. She looked for a way to get her and Morgian away from them, but ended up being dragged to an old bar, that was nothing like the three broomsticks. First of all it was called Hogs Head, and it was filthy. It wasn't as bad as the room James, Sirius and Gabrielle were fixing up but it was still covered in dirt. Once they walked in they all started coughing, but went in all the same. Gabrielle cleaned the chair she was about to sit in, and she was handed a butterbeer. James looked at her, and she looked away attempting to stop looking into his eyes. Almost as if Afraid she would be cast into a spell from looking into his eyes for too long. His eyes were caring and sweet. She was angry with him and wanted it to stay that way. Looking in his eyes, she feared, would make it otherwise. "You know you shouldn't be naive like that." He said to her. "Yeah." Sirius added. "Snape is going to curse you weather or not you're trying to save his sorry- he stopped when Gabrielle looked at him. Her look wasn't it's normal smiling self. Lets leave it at that. "Just be careful." James said to her thoughtfully. She looked at Morgian for backup. She seemed to agree with James and Sirius by the look on her face. Gabrielle folded her arms childishly and looked out the filthy window while the rest of them talked, muttering "I can take care of myself." She knew James smiled. She ignored it and didn't take her eyes of the window. Some talking was going on, but Gabrielle hardly contributed. After she noticed Morgian wasn't talking either she watched her but then started to pretend she was interested in the conversation they were having (eyes still on Morgian). Morgain was listening intensively to something, but Gabrielle couldn't make out what. It just seemed to make her upset. The others caught on that Morgian wasn't paying attention and all looked at Morgian. "We've been trying to obtain contact with your brain Morgain for the past two minutes. Where did you fly off to this time?" Remeus told Morgian after she had finished listening to whatever she was listening to moments before. "None of your business." Morgain shot back and smirked. "You can be such a snotty girl sometimes." Sirius teased her. Morgian smiled., then out of no ware Sirius asked "Have you had any nightmares lately?" he seemed concerned too, maybe there was something Gabrielle was missing. Yes, the dream must have been horrible, but Morgian looked uncomfortable about it. Gabrielle saw her face when Sirius asked her that question. "No." she Morgian said awkwardly.  
  
"Good." Sirius said softly. Morgain looked up at him, and they both stared at each other for a while, and the conversation at the table stopped again and everyone stared at the two of them.  
  
"What was all that?" James asked them both. Morgain looked furious with herself, and quickly got up from her chair and said. "Ahhh...I gotta go. Byes." If Morgian was confused, Gabrielle was a thousand times more 


	19. fears

she got up from her chair and followed Morgain out of the pub in search of answers.  
  
"Morgain! Stop!" Gabrielle yelled. Morgain stopped; Gabrielle stopped running and walked up to Morgain. "Why did you just run? What happened?" Gabrielle asked.  
  
"I just have too many things on my mind, and I need to sort them out. Look I'll tell you later what I heard, or no I can't." Morgain said and kept on running. "Please understand!" Morgain shouted back,  
"That was supposed to help?" Gabrielle mumbled to herself in. She figured she would ask Morgian when she felt better, she was having a problem; better not make it any worse. She heard the boys' footsteps drawing near; she knew they would want answers. They didn't get any more formation than Gabrielle got. They were all curious to what was happening.  
  
Gabrielle decided it was best if she was polite and stayed with them for a while longer, even though he was furious with James for fighting and not letting her save her self from that curse. Not to mention being very thick, and for starting that fight with Snape! The thought of James asking her to the dance never left her mind once for a second either. She hoped he wouldn't ask her, so she could avoid the entire aggravation that came along with it. Every time she looked in his eyes she knew he knew what she was thinking about; therefore not much eye contact was made. They only went around to the shops. They joked around a bit, and met up with friends. Soon Gabrielle headed for the library thinking that Morgain could be in there. She walked in and headed for the back of the library because she was normally there, then heard She heard Morgan's voice. She's fighting. Gabrielle looked through an opening in the bookshelf, which lead to the sound. She saw her there fighting with Celeste, her brother's girlfriend. It was a catty fight, which they both exchanged nasty comments about each other's clothing and accessories. Gabrielle never had one of theses fights. She didn't mind too much about fashion, nor did she fight with anyone but James and his friends. She smiled at the thought. It was fun fighting with him, she didn't know why. But right now he aggravated her, and a wave of fury came and left. When the cost was cleared she walked from behind the bookshelf and went up to Morgian, and sat don't at the table with her and Stephan. He didn't seem like he wanted her there, but she didn't care.  
"hey Morgain!" she said cheerfully. "I was just-" she stopped herself. She figured she shouldn't say she was spying. "I mean I just saw you're little fight. Didn't want to interfere though, it was getting brutal." she explained.  
"Ohhh. Hey thanks. Back from Hogsmade so early?" Morgain asked as Gabrielle sat down beside her. Stephan watched her closely. "Early? It's nearly 4!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "Hey Stephan." she added politely.  
"Hey." he mumbled and glared. Gabby glared back.  
"4! Wow. Doing homework sure does take a chunk of your time." Morgain commented naively. Gabrielle looked at her suspiciously.  
"YOU did homework?"   
"Yes...I'm so ashamed. Stephan made me do it!" Morgain defended herself. Stephan chuckled.  
"Wow. How did you do that?" Gabrielle asked him. He shrugged and started putting away his books. "Well, I'm proud of you Morgy!"   
"Ahh! Don't call me that!" Morgain wined. Gabrielle laughed. Stephan groaned in his misery. 'God that Gryffindor is so annoying.' he thought.  
"What's your problem?" Gabrielle asked and glared at Stephan. Morgain stared at him and smiled slightly. Stephan locked her into his gaze. Gabrielle sighed and rolled her eyes. There was no point in trying to communicate to any of them. She hated being ignored; I'll do the same thing Morgain did to me this morning. She thought and got an idea.   
"I'll just leave you two alone then." she said very pleased with herself. But unfortunately they didn't hear. "Ugh, you guys are so hopelessly in love." she moaned and stomped off. The word "love" woke them up. Both of them went red.  
She walked to the common room, deciding to do some homework. Gabrielle finished her homework, closed the book, and got up from the chair by the window. "Aaaaaaugh!" she said when she got up from her favorite seat in the common room; she didn't notice James there. He must have snuck up on her earlier. He just laughed and told her "Better get going." Gabrielle put the last book she had into her bag and ran up to put it away, then came back with the book she took out from the library earlier that day to see James at the bottom of the slide that used to be the stairs. The stairs of the girl's dormitories turned into a slide so boys couldn't go up them. The founders of Hogwarts didn't believe boys were to be trusted. Gabrielle couldn't agree with them more. She folded her legs and tried her best to go down the slide without the skirt she was wearing flying up. She laughed at James when she saw him sitting At the bottom of the steps. "I wanted to see what was taking you so long," he said innocently. Gabrielle didn't buy it, she knew there was more that than what he had told her. They found Sirius and walked down to the room they were working on. Professor McGonagall was in the room, looking around, and when they came she told them to go on with their work. Gabrielle sat next to a bat cage and opened the book. She found a picture of the room they were in, and read the caption aloud to James and Sirius, who were now dusting the whole room. So above the noise form the wind that they made come from their wands, she held down the page she was on and read "The room used to be an old dining hall for prestigious visitors to the school!" she shouted, the two boys smiled at each other while listening to what she was saying.. "The students hardly set foot in it, unless of course they were the ones who competed in the Triwizarding Tournament" She said, half to herself, while she moved her hair from her face, which was being moved like a flag by the wind from the boy's wands to clean the room. "She looked at the picture, the room used to be so beautiful and judging by what was in it now, it was turned into a potions room. Suddenly the wind in the room stopped and all the dust that was in the room was on a huge pile in the middle of the room. Gabrielle made it disappear as fast as she saw it settle. While whispering "disgusting." She got up holding her wand in her hand, and then asked aloud for someone to make the tables and boxes levitate for her while she polished the floor. It was a very deep purple, a common color in the Wizarding world, but right now it was covered in grime. James made everything levitate off the floor, wile looking at the book Gabrielle had taken out from the library. Gabrielle walked around the room, using a spell she had looked up the other day. Sirius cleaned the walls, and the ceiling one last time and James soon lowered the tables, and then they put all the boxes into one corner of the room and began repairing the tables and chairs. They did that for a while, until the bats got restless. Gabrielle checked to see if all of the doors and windows were closed and let them fly out. They were probably used to the area and wouldn't try escaping, but who wants bats flying around the school for no reason? 


	20. the long awaited

She looked through the other boxes. James Potter jumped out of one that she had just opened the lid to. He walked up to her and started asking her to the dance and leaning forward to kiss her, she shivered and mumbled "ridiculous". While pointing her wand at him, he suddenly had a flowering dress on, she giggled, and he exploded. It wasn't really James, it was a boggart, they were magical creatures that lived in small tight spaces, and when they come in contact with them they turn into their greatest fears. Right now, James was hers. She was perfectly used to boggarts. They were covered in her second year at Hogwarts, but she had learned of them a while before. She pretended nothing had happened to avoid questioning form either James or Sirius, and turned red once she figured that either one had seen it. It was a little problem of hers. She never had much luck with boyfriends; her bad experiences made her fear them (not boyfriends, relationships). A silly thing to fear, she thought, and she normally didn't tell anyone. In fact, she didn't even think Morgain knew of this people who saw her were just baffled that she was afraid of a certain boy at a certain time and forgot about it eventually. She remembered that James and Sirius were there when they learned, but they hardly noticed her then. She and moved on to see what was in the box. There were black and orange decorations, she looked through the boxes with potions equipment and figured she would give that to Professor McGonagall. By the time Professor McGonagall had come by the room was in good order, she was happy of all the work they had done in such a short period of time. All they had to do now was decorate, which means they wouldn't have to come in for long the next couple of days. The week leading up to the ball was filled with giggles, quidditch practices and homework. Not to mention the detentions, and attempting to avoid James. Classes were not anything out of the ordinary, only Defense against the dark arts was different. There was a lady sitting in the back of the room. Gabrielle didn't learn her name, but had seen her in the back of the room, she had short, red, layered, curly hair. She was quite tall, (around 5'9) and had bright green eyes. She normally wore red, faded jeans, a black turtle neck shirt and a plain black robe over top. They had brought in more silver curtains for the two little booths on each side of the room in detention; they were high up on the walls. Gabrielle liked it up there in the booths. There were doors in the hallways leading up to them. They were lined with the same purple fabric on the walls and the floor. They reminded her of booths at the Fourus (a Wizarding version of a theater) in Diagon Alley. She sat there reading aloud to James and Sirius about the room. They got her down though, and she had to help hang up streamers. The night before the ball Gabrielle had not been asked to the ball by anyone, and she was glad. She figured James had scared everyone else off., but it was really that everyone knew she liked him, and he liked her. It was really very humorous to everyone seeing Gabrielle and James at it. The main topic of conversation in the grand hall was "you think James asked Gabby yet?" Gabrielle heard it once or twice herself. It was on her mind as well. She was thinking of a good excuse to tell him if he did decide to ask her, but she couldn't think of anything other than babbling on about how she can't. The three stood in the middle of the room admiring their hard work. The ceiling had bats swooping across. Big pumpkins that they had carved the other night were on the some of the tables, ready to be enchanted to float in the air. Streamers glided across the room. The room was beautiful again. Gabrielle was proud that they all brought the room back to life. "Well, I guess were finished for the night." James said looking up at the ceiling. Gabrielle nodded, Sirius headed for the door closest to them, James didn't follow. Sirius looked back from the door to see if James was coming or not, James gave him a look that told him he wasn't. Gabrielle knew what he was planning, and now so did Sirius. He left the room smiling. Gabrielle was still looking around the room; she decided to open a box with decorations they didn't use yet wondering if there was anything they should add before they return the extra boxes to Professor Flitwick. James had been walking up to her, but stopped instantly when he saw another one of him pop out of the box, Gabrielle Jumped back. Not when he's looking! She panicked. She tried making it funny, but it didn't work. "Ridiculous" she muttered over and over again. James saw she was getting desperate. "Let me help" he said. "Just like you helped with Snape right?" She said sarcastically. She didn't mean it, but this was horrible. James knew what she was talking about and it started. She tried again and again then just ignored the boggart and turned to the real thing and started shouting at him. It turned out to be the worst fight they had ever had. Gabrielle had mentioned everything they had ever fought about, and added in anything worth fighting about. James started trying to gain Gabrielle's eyes. Each time she would look away, like she normally did. He placed his hand on her cheek lightly and moved her head towards his. She did look into his eyes, for a while he looked into her big bottle green eyes. She was so startled she stopped talking. He had annoyed her too much over the past week. She started talking again but all he said was "Why don't you ever look into my eyes?" She just stared into his eyes; he did cast her into a spell like she feared. She kissed him before she noticed what she was doing, and before she could let her mind tell her otherwise. The boggart that had been walking around them in circles trying to scare Gabrielle had disappeared in a wisp of smoke. 


	21. once apon

Oddly enough, Gabrielle found herself singing the same song she often found Morgian singing. It was the same song from sleeping beauty, they story of a muggle princess who was enchanted by an evil which to sleep for thousands of years. She remembered seeing it with Morgian at the Fourus with Morgian for her last birthday. The song that she sang was Morgain's favorite, and now she had started signing it out of no ware. She smiled. She was jittery. She didn't know what to think. She strolled around the school, going the long way back to the common room. Then it struck her. What am I going to wear? Then she had a second thought. I'm turning into Morgian! She never worried about her clothing before but she shouldn't stop herself, she just suddenly began to care.She ran the rest of the way to the common room. "Toadstool!" she shouted at the pink lady in the portrait before she opened her mouth to ask. She waited for the portrait to swing forward, fidgeting impatiently. When the portrait hole was revealed she jumped through, running up the steps. She didn't notice anyone walk up to her to talk to her, she ran up the steps to her dorm. She scribbled a letter to Morgain.  
Morgain! I need you're help! I don't know what to wear tomorrow!!!!!! -Gabrielle She folded the letter and gave it to Hero, who was sitting, perched on the rail of her bed. He hardly ever was in the owlry, mainly because Gabrielle always needed him after classes anyways. She tied the note to his ankle with white ribbon and once she saw him swoop away she relaxed a little. Jamie and Shannon came into the room. Gabrielle just fell into her bed, waiting for a reply.  
"Hello Gabby, anything knew?" Shannon said, Jamie was finding it difficult to suppress a smile. Jamie had trouble acting, but Shannon was a natural. If not for Jamie, Gabrielle would have no idea that they knew something. She looked up, confused from where she sat.  
"N-nothing. Why?" she asked. Shannon looked form Jamie (still suppressing a smile) back to Gabrielle.  
"Don't lie to me Gabrielle Orwood!" She said forcefully (she had given up on acting). Gabrielle flinched. "We knew perfectly well you're going with James to the ball and you didn't tell us! Since when? How did it happen?" Gabrielle blushed furiously.  
"Since the-the end of detention." She said, very embarrassed. She normally couldn't tell people this, but Shannon was angry. You don't want Shannon angry with you. Shannon demanded for more details when Morgain's letter returned. Hero flew onto Gabrielle's lap and she stroked him reading the letter.  
  
Since when do you care about what you're wearing? Or did you come to you're senses and finally want me to help you with you're clothes? No no, that can't be it.  
  
Just then in the letter, clearly, Morgian figured what happened with Gabrielle not long ago after she wrote the first couple of sentances that made her want to look nice tomorrow.  
  
DID YOU GET A DATE? I WANT DETAILS GABRIELLE ORWOOD AND I WANT THEM NOW!!!!  
  
"She's not the only one" Shannon muttered after reading the letter. Jamie laughed. They had both been reading over her shoulder.  
  
"Really Gabby, what happened?" Jamie asked.  
  
"Um." Gabrielle said. Both girls looked at her for an addition to what she said. "Well. He asked me to the ball after detention was over."  
"There's more. I know it." Shannon said "You're not keeping this away form us!" Gabrielle took a deep breath and added.  
"He asked me to the Ball, after we kissed." She squinted her eyes and tensed up her body, she looked as if it was painful saying what she just did. "Well at first we had been fighting over the boggart. Remember how my boggart turned into a boy last time we learned about it in class?"  
"Oh yea!" Jamie said. "Wasn't it that boy that liked you then? That was weird." Gabrielle nodded. Shannon was writing something on a piece of parchment. They looked at her and she looked up at them saying.  
"Just a letter to Morgain. I'm explaining everything for you." She said. "I know how it feels not knowing what going on," she said eyeing Gabrielle for a second then told them, "Go on, go on." So Gabrielle would go on with her story. Then Gabrielle explained how they had fought for a long time, and how they ended up kissing. The kissing part she didn't explain with much detail, and she moved on to how the boggart exploded without her using her wand very quickly. Then he asked her, and Flitwick had come for the boxes. James had helped him carry them to his office. Professor Flitwick also mentioned he had to "have a little chat" with James, and she walked back to the common room alone. Shannon handed the letter to Gabby so she could add to the bottom. She wrote a little:  
Could you please, please, please, help me with my outfit? I'll meet you in the perfects bathroom after breakfast. Bring everything you can. 


	22. picking a dress

She gave the letter to Hero and watched him fly out of the room again.  
The next morning Gabrielle shoved clothes, makeup and jewelry into her bag along with her books, quills and parchment. She walked into the grand hall not long after, with her hair ever ware from running. She sat at the Gryffindor table, looking around for Morgain. There weren't many people in the room, and she normally was up early, but she wasn't there and didn't come for a while. When she did she came with three trunks levitating behind her, she acted like it was perfectly normal too. She walked up to Gabrielle and sat next to her, all of Gabrielle's Gryffindor friends looked at Morgain's three trunks.  
  
"It's only a fourth of my wardrobe." She said shrugging.  
  
"Show off." Gabrielle muttered. Morgian heard, and laughed. They heard the whole hall go quiet, and heard Stephan announce "Ladies and gentlemen." He said. "Malfoy, the fag, will now ask out James Potter!" The whole school erupted in laugher as they watched Stephan and Sebastian grab Malfoy, who was struggling horribly. They directed him over to the Gryffindor Table. He mumbled "Will ou go to the ball wif me?" quickly when he got up to James. James was eating breakfast with his friends nearby, and he turned around to look at him. "Louder Malfoy!" James said, now standing up in front of Malfoy. "I can't hear you." He added.  
  
Gabrielle didn't like this. She didn't like Luscious very much, but they shouldn't push him into something he definitely doesn't want to do. She was probably the only person in the grand hall who wasn't laughing. Stephan and Sebastian got Luscious to ask, and after James told him that he already had a date he walked back to the Slitherin table. His eyes downcast and his fists clenched. The whole school was laughing at him.  
  
They left soon after; the three trunks following close behind. They walked to the prefect's bathroom. Gabrielle whispered "squeaky clean" and the door to opened, revealing a beautiful bathroom. It had black and white marble; It had a huge bathtub, which looked more like a little swimming pool; also, It had a little couch on one side which Morgain sat on. Gabrielle sat on the counter near the couch. She sat beside a sink and leaned her back on the cool window.  
  
"So," Gabrielle said looking at the three trunks on the floor. "Were do we start?"  
  
"Well. It's a costume party. Right? So what do you want to be?" Morgian said, casually.  
  
"I don't know." Gabrielle said standing up. "Hmmmmm. Well what are you being?"  
  
"Morgain Lafae," Morgian said, clearly proud of herself. Gabrielle laughed.  
  
"I should've known, it's very like you." Gabrielle said. "The evil witch sister of King Arthur?" she said.  
  
"But of course." Morgian replied. Gabrielle laughed again.  
  
"Who should I be then?" she asked. Morgian kneeled next to a trunk, and Gabrielle did the same, but folded her legs.  
  
"What about King Arthur's wife, Guinevere?"  
  
"A muggle Queen?" she asked.  
  
"You do look a lot alike," she said. Taking out a picture of Guinevere that she had in her trunk. She put it up to Gabrielle's face. Then handed it to Gabrielle.  
  
"I guess you're right." She said looking at the picture. Guinevere was like her; she did have the same long blonde hair. "Ok. I'll be her." She said.  
  
"Now for the dress." She said looking through her trunks.  
  
"You have medieval dresses?"  
  
"Of course I do. I love them," she said pulling out a light blue dress. "This one would look excellent," Morgian said holding it up in front of Gabrielle. She pulled out a light green one with beads embroidered on it, and a cream colored one with golden embroidered rims. Gabrielle tried all three on. The bell rang for their first classes to begin. Undecided, she placed all three dresses into her bag and ran to her class, thanking Morgian, she ran down the hall to her first class. The day went by without Gabrielle even noticing it, her legs carried her to each class, and her hand wrote down notes. But her mind was with the ball the whole day. The next thing she knew she was taking a shower a couple of hours before the ball. She went straight upstairs after her last class, and didn't go to dinner. She had to get ready! Her astronomy class was cancelled because of the ball, and her books lay on her bed. The teachers didn't give any homework; none of the teachers could because hardly anyone was paying attention in class anyways. Gabrielle wasn't the only one that wasn't paying attention. She came out of the shower, dripping wet. She had a towel around her hair, and one around her body. She walked out of the washroom and looked at the three dresses that she laid out on her bed before. She dressed in normal clothes and walked back to her bed. She stared at the dresses for a while and put on the green one, but took it off and put on the blue one. She stood in front of the mirror evaluating the dress form all angles. 


	23. a new opinion

"I don't like that one, if you ask me" said a voice from the doorway that was way to deep to be a girl's. Gabrielle whipped around, her long hair whipped into the air, and the dress followed her movement as well. "How did you get up the stairs?" she asked. James held up his broom that he was holding behind his back. She scowled at him, trying to hide her happiness to see him. She never liked being mushy. But at after scolding him she ended up laughing at James anyways. "Wait. Were you here the whole time?" she asked, her ears going red. He shook his head. She looked for any clue to if he was lying or not. Jamie and Shannon stormed into the room. They were talking to Gabrielle, but didn't look at her. They had the air of two important businesswomen with too much to do, or even wound up toys. They walked around the room quickly. They pulled out makeup, jewelry and their costumes, not even stopping to teach a breath. Shannon called the washroom before Jamie had the chance to and ran into it with her towels. Jamie unwound and looked around the room at Gabrielle. "J-James?" she asked, not believing her eyes.  
  
"Yep." He said.  
  
"How did you get in here?" she said.  
  
"I flew."  
  
"Oh." She said, and then waking up she said. "Shannon is going to kill you for being in here. Especially when she comes out wearing a towel" laughing slightly. James didn't seem like he would mind that, he went and sat on Gabrielle's bed. Gabrielle put her arms on her hips. How am I going to change? She walked to her bed and took the cream one and asked James what he thought. "You have to try it on first," he said playfully. Gabrielle scowled him and went a bit red at the same time (o0o0o a combo!) She held the dress with both hands, still looking at him, then when she heard Shannon come out of the washroom and felt a wave of hot evaporated-water-air from her shower. She took one of her hands and quickly closed the white curtain on her four-poster bed over James, and whipped around to face Shannon. James was too surprised to make a sound, thankfully. Gabrielle held the ends of the curtains in her hands to keep James from popping his head out of it.  
  
"Hey Shannon." She said, trying to act natural.  
  
"Hi Gabby." Shannon said curiously, didn't I say hello earlier? Shannon thought to herself. Shannon went back into the washroom to change and came back in her powder blue fairy costume. When she came out she screeched horribly, pointing at the far end of Gabrielle's bed. James was standing there. Gabrielle and Jamie prepared for the worst. Shannon threw a book at James out of anger, which he caught in his hands. "What are you doing here?" she shouted at him. Gabrielle ran up to her and covered her mouth so the girls in the other rooms wouldn't hear. She told her patiently and quietly, "Shan, he didn't see anything he was on my bed the whole time" she said, noticing that what she said didn't sound the greatest. Shannon gave her a look. "Please don't over react. Please. Please. please." She said pleading. Gabrielle gave Shannon her best puppy dogface. Her eyes were wide open and she tried looking her cutest. She let go of Shannon and Shannon began breathing in and out deeply. Then she stopped, relaxed, and went to the bathroom to put on her makeup. Jamie went after her, smiling at Gabrielle and James. Gabrielle, still holding the cream colored dress, went to the washroom to change. She came out in the dress. When she came out, James was sitting on her bed again. When he saw her he rested his chin on his hand, looking like he was thinking hard, and making it seem this was an incredibly hard decision. Gabrielle didn't move, she looked at James; He stood up and walked towards her. He took her hand and made her twirl around. She rolled her eyes first, but did it nonetheless. "You know." He said after Gabrielle finished twirling, and James let go of her hand. "I think I like this dress."  
  
"You think?" Gabrielle said, raising her eyebrow. It was either he liked it or he didn't.  
  
"Yes, I think so."  
  
"hmmmm" Gabrielle said, going to the mirror. The dress was so long she had to hold it up with her hands in order to walk. "I guess so. Maybe I should ask you for help with my clothing more often" she joked. James laughed.  
  
"I better go before everyone starts looking for me. Think of what Shannon would do when the others would come in here too." He kissed Gabrielle quickly, and walked out of the room. Gabrielle smiled and watched him leave. Then she went to the washroom and sat beside Jamie, who was sitting in front of the washroom mirror, and in front of the counter on a stool. Shannon was sitting on one and now Gabrielle was too. They all started talking about how Shannon and Jamie had been listening in on what Gabrielle and James were saying a moment ago. Gabrielle was made up and ready. Her hair was curled slightly and she had a few braids in her hair, keeping her hair out of her face and making a spot for her tiara to rest on. Gabrielle was exited and scared at the same time. She kept telling herself it will be all right. It'll be All right. She remembered that James, Sirius and she had to go to the ballroom early to set up. She left the dorm room, telling Shannon and Jamie that she'll see them later. 


	24. the last of their sentance

She walked into the common room. No one was out in the common room yet. She walked up the stairs to the boys' dormitories. Thinking James did it, so why not me? She held up her very long dress to keep from tripping on it. The stairs did not turn into a slide like the girls' stairs did. She walked down the hall and found a door with Sirius, Remeus's, Peter's and James's names engraved on it in gold letters. She opened it slowly. Only Peter, and Remeus were the ones fully dressed, thankfully. Peter was in a joker costume, and Remeus was still wearing his school robes. James still didn't have his shirt on. There was a sword dangling form a belt he was wearing. He was putting on a white, baggy under shirt. He slipped the shirt over his face and looked at Gabrielle with surprise. His surprised face soon turned into a smiling one. Gabrielle saw him, thinking he looked like a pirate. Gabrielle had covered her face with her hand before she even saw the other two. Sirius was only wearing his boxers. She was unable to conceal her laughter, but it was from nervousness rather from it being funny. James walked up to her and led her out of the room while his friends dressed as quickly as they could.  
  
"Trying to get back at me are you." He said, pulling her hand away form her face when they were in the hallway.  
  
"No- I promise I didn't mean to." She said, still laughing.  
  
"Sure, sure." James said, not believing her.  
  
"I'm sorry!" she said. "I thought you would be dressed already, and we have to go to the ballroom so I had to get you somehow."  
  
"Ok. Ok." He said, a bit overwhelmed by her long explanation, and it was said at such a quick pace too.  
  
"You're being a pirate?" she asked after she finished laughing.  
  
"No. One of the three musketeers."  
  
"Ooooh." James took her hand and walked over to the door. He knocked on it lightly. They both heard reassuring grunts, telling them it was all right to go inside. He opened the door. Remeus and Sirius were dressed in full 3 Musketeer costumes, equipped with big hats with feathers sticking out of them. James walked over to his bed and put on the jacket and hat to his costume. Gabrielle would normally have leaned against the wall with her arms folded, but her dress wouldn't allow it. Not only was the dress tight, it was tremendously long. She stood, not really watching or paying attention to what was going on, like a lady (for once). "Ready." Sirius said loudly, so Gabrielle would snap out of her daydreams. They all noticed that she was daydreaming, they were used to it, because it seemed to happen a lot. And it did make Gabrielle snap out of her thoughts. They headed out of the door, with Lupin and Peter still in the room. Two feathers hit Gabrielle in the face as she walked out of the room with James and Sirius. And she sneezed twice afterwards. She had every intention of shrinking them, well almost every intention. They headed for the ballroom to make the last preparations. They came to one of the doors. The door was locked but there were voices coming from inside. Sirius knocked on the door, and Professor Flitwick opened it. He was exited to see them and invited them in enthusiastically. When they entered, they saw Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, and Professor Potts (the herbology teacher). They saw all the other teachers in the courtyard. The courtyard was now filled with beautiful flowers that grew around the regular, old statues that were always there. It had very much come alive. The teachers had not finished yet, and were now growing rosebushes around the statues. Gabrielle kept looking over to them as she worked on levitating the pumpkins and lighting them. James let out the bats and they flew around the ceiling as usual. Sirius went to the Gryffindor common room to find his date, while James and Gabrielle stayed behind while they finished up. When Gabrielle finished, she sat on a chair next to a table she was sitting at. James leaned against it. Gabrielle looked at the sword tied to his belt. An unexpected smile crept over her face. She distracted James by talking to him loudly She stood and pointed out things at the back of the room, then she whispered "apertum" and the belt unbuckled unnoticeably, but Gabrielle bumped into James purposely to keep him from noticing. When she did bemped into him he staggered, and he felt the sword against his leg, but the belt felt loose. He put his hand on it and looked up to see that Gabrielle had the sword. "Angard!" Gabrielle said playfully. 


	25. Dancing

"You'll be a wonderful thief one day." James said to Gabrielle, it was laughable because Gabrielle was the last to become a thief. James was unarmed, and Gabrielle was playing with the sword. James looked at the table. There was a butter knife on it, and it gave him an idea. He turned it into a sword to match the one Gabrielle was playing with at the moment. "How does everything always come back to fighting?" James asked as they started.  
"Maybe I'm just very competitive." Gabrielle offered, she didn't know herself.  
  
"If you were competitive, you would do this with everyone." James said, while blacking Gabrielle's last attack, he pushed her back and she span around.  
  
"I like you though, so only you get this privilege." That was very bold for Gabrielle, but James was amused by it. They sparred a little, going no ware, as in no one was winning, but they were having a conversation. They sparred around the room, going around tables and such. Soon, the teachers came inside when they finished with the courtyard.  
"I heard about this from Professor Gurrow in the teachers room a week ago." Professor McGonagall said. Professor Dumbledore smiled.  
  
"I told the boy my advice would work!" Professor Flitwick said, proud of himself.  
  
Gabrielle stopped when she noticed the teachers talking about them fondly. James stopped when Gabrielle did. She handed the sword to James mechanically. The teachers didn't delay and telling them how much they liked the "show," and Gabrielle didn't hesitate to blush either. There was a low rumble, which meant almost all of the students were waiting in the entrance hall to be guided to the ballroom. Professor Dumbledore opened the door and suddenly a purple rug was fling through the air, which soon rested on the ground and showed the way to the room. Students came in cautiously and looked around. The music started at one end of the room. There were instruments being played by invisible people, which were playing the music in front of them on one of the booths in the room. Students began to file into the room and sat down when they saw that the teachers were sitting. Gabrielle sat with James, the tables only sat two, but she sat near, Shannon and her date Sirius, Morgian with Stephan and Jamie with Malcolm. Gabrielle smiled to see that Malcolm's pin straight long hair was the same as it always was. She talked with James a great deal, but would turn around to but in on Shannon's, Jamie's or Morgain's conversations friendly. They were all talking openly, except Stephan of course, he was not very keen to be in the same room as Gabrielle. She hardly ate anything because of excitement, until everyone started getting up to dance. James stood up and asked to dance like a gentleman. Gabrielle was surprised, he was the last she would expect to act like a gentleman but she was amused nonetheless. She smiled, but then noticed he wanted to dance. Her smile faded and she nodded. He took her arm, but she leaned close to his ear and whispered "What happens if I can't dance?"  
  
"Sure you can." He whispered back into hers, playing along.  
  
"No. I assure you. I can't dance."  
  
"That was some pretty good footwork when we were sparring"  
  
"That's different."  
  
"Oh is it?"  
  
"Yes, yes it is." He took her hands and placed one gently on his shoulder gently, smiling at Gabrielle's confused look. He took her other hand and put his hand on her hip. Her ears went red as they normally did. It made him smile. "Not funny!" Gabrielle mumbled to herself, but it only made him laugh again. Gabrielle tripped on her long dress and fell into James. "Still not funny." "Just relax." James suggested.  
  
"Oh. And what made you the dancing king? Look at me! I look like a little fuzzy animal that's being eaten alive by a lion!" It made him laugh again. She gave up; just then they saw Morgain and Stephan get up from their seats and go onto the dance floor. Stephan was being the grim reaper. His hands were actual skeleton hands. Gabrielle wondered how much she paid someone from Ravenclaw to do that for him, and then dismissed the rude thought. They two were looking at James and Gabrielle, who were standing at the moment, Gabrielle basically leaning on James. "Look! They're laughing at us! They think their better." James said, playfully, attempting to get Gabrielle to dance. She was competitive, so it would work normally. Morgian and Stephan were very good, and they were doing to tango. Gabrielle was surprised by the way they were dancing, sure it was with talent, but she was so close to him it, it made her sick.  
  
"Whatever you're trying to do, its not working." Gabrielle said, taking her eyed off of Morgian and Stephan. "But I'm going to try anyways." She just let James lead for a while. She saw that Stephan and Morgain were dominating the dance floor, almost like James and Gabrielle did when they were dueling. Morgian looked angry with Stephan, Gabrielle wondered why. She was relived when the music stopped a while after. They walked back to the tables to meet up with their friends. Shannon was exited and jumpy, while Jamie was rolling her eyes at their friend. 


	26. anything you can do i can do better

"Nice dancing out their," Sirius joked.  
  
"Gee. Thanks." Gabrielle said sarcastically. "Hey, where's Lupin?" she asked looking around. She hadn't seen him since they were in the dormitory, she hadn't even seen him in his costume, and she had just inferred he was the third musketeer. When she looked at James, she knew he was hiding something from her, and this was nothing new. "James! Tell me!" she took a step towards him and looked up at him. He stood firm. "Nothing, nothing." He said. ]  
  
"I'll find out, mark my words" she said, first eying James, then Sirius. The boys both laughed, they didn't know what Gabrielle was capable of.  
  
"Cut it out Gabby, its their business." Shannon said. She didn't care what was going on, she wasn't as curious as Gabrielle, or as consistent. She took Gabrielle and Jamie away so they could have their usual 'girl talk.' Their voices trailed off, and all the boys could hear was. "Gabby, I cant believe you, you didn't even slow dance with James!" Gabrielle rolled her eyes.  
  
"I guess we shouldn't visit him today." James murmured to Sirius and Peter.  
  
"Are you crazy?" Sirius said, he was not willing to give up their plans because of Gabrielle. She didn't intimidate him. "We promised Lupin we would be there!"  
  
"What if she follows us like last time, with the dove" Peter whispered. They were watching the girls. They were at a table with punch on it, talking to friends. Gabrielle watched what they were doing in the corner of her eye, while she talked.  
  
"So we sneak out later?" James offered.  
  
"Yes, when she has something on her mind." Sirius said. They all thought of something to do to make Gabrielle to busy to notice they were gone later on. They didn't notice Gabrielle walking back to them.  
  
"Do you know where Morgian is?" she saw them smile at what she said. This was a perfect distraction. "What are you smiling at?"  
  
"No-nothing." James said.  
  
"You're lying again," She said sternly. "Well, do you know were she is?" she asked, a bit annoyed.  
  
"No. Why don't you look for her?" Sirius suggested, Gabrielle was surprised by what he said. She took a moment to think before she answered. Then she played along. She knew they wanted to lose her and do whatever they did, so she pretend she was clueless in plans for following them at the next chance she got. "I will, hope she's alright with that good for nothing with her." She said, trailing off, as she walked away. She was really not concerned with Morgain because Gabrielle knew she was a big girl, and could handle herself. She thought quickly and turned into her usual cat before anyone could think twice and see what she was doing. There were too many people for anyone to notice her. I really have to start getting a little more creative, she thought. She snaked through people's legs, and went to sit under the table. Her head peaked out from under the tablecloth. She picked out jester shoes easily from out of the many feet in the ballroom. And she knew those shoes belonged to the only person who was dressed at a jester, Peter. They were walking away, so she got out from under the table, and followed cautiously. She stopped when she reached a man dressed as a bunny, his long silver beard was still there, and so was the same gleam in his eyes. It was Dumbledore looking down at her. "I should have thought of that costume." Dumbledore said to her fondly, he knew she didn't come as a cat to the ball. Gabrielle turned into her self out of respect for him.  
  
"Well, I was just looking for my friends sir," She said, smiling and hoping he would believe her, it was partially true, but there was more to the story that she did not want to tell him. "People are easier to find when you're a cat," she said. He smiled at her and walked on. She had a scary feeling that he knew what she was up to. She turned into the cat again, and walked on in search of the purple and black shoes. She saw them for a split second, but they disappeared behind a door. She ran as fast as she could with her paws, and when she was at the door they went through she skidded and slammed into the door with a thud. Ouuuuuuuuuch, she thought to herself, since she couldn't say it out loud. She sat down. The door creaked open and she stood up, and tried to run away, instead of running, her furry paws made her fall back on her stomach. She looked up and regretted turning into a cat, there was Peter's face pocking out of the door. They must have heard my impact with the door. She prayed he would be his stupid self and not notice it was her, she stood up slowly and edged away. He only blinked his emotionless, beady eyes. Gabrielle watched him. He only closed the door. She pressed her cat-ear on the door corridor, trying to see if it was safe to get out. She didn't hear anything, so thought it was safe to turn into her self and open the door. She did so and as soon as the door was opened she turned into a cat again. She was sure no one noticed her, there were too many things going on and too many people for anyone to notice, or even dare to try to stop her. She walked into the corridor, and backed into the door to close it. It closed shut and she walked down the hall, cautiously. She didn't see anything, nor smell anything, but she saw the door at the end of the hallway shut. She didn't see anyone go in it, but she knew the door couldn't move on its own. She walked towards the door, cautiously. This time, she turned into a mouse and walked under the big crack at the bottom of the door. 


	27. full moon tonight

The big oak doors that were in the ballroom were too fancy to have cracks at the bottom. She stayed a mouse and, when she didn't see anyone in the room, she became curious. She sniffed the air around her. There was a familiar sent in the air. She smelt James and Sirius's colognes mixed together. She wrinkled her nose at the scent. She scuttled around the edge of the room, to avoid them seeing her. It was not a good sign that she didn't see them, but could smell them. She knew they couldn't all be smart enough to know how to use the invisibility charm on themselves. She waited underneath the Professor Roland's desk until there was a true sign the boys were there. She saw it soon enough, when the door creaked open, she ran towards the door, hoping to make it outside. She barley made it and was now on a wooden step outside. The night was clear and a full moon shone overhead, giving everything a silvery look. She found a place to hide and turned into am owl, so she could see everything that was going on. She heard some mumbling as she was soaring around the grounds, and finally saw James, Sirius, and Peter appear out of thin air. There was a cloak in James's hand. It was an invisibility cloak, she should have known. They weren't very common, and was probably a family heirloom of the Potter family. She watched the boys tentatively and perched in a tree. She saw James, Sirius, and Peter turn into animals. James was a stag, Sirius a dog, and Peter a rat. They walked to the whomping willow, which Gabrielle remembered was planted there when she first came to Hogwarts. She thought it was a bad idea to plant it there because it was a tree all right, but it was a tree that hit you back. They were standing as close as they could to the trunk of the tree without being hit by it. She saw Peter scuttle to the trunk of the tree; it didn't hit him because he was so small. Gabrielle saw him touch a knot on the tree and it froze in the position it was in last. James and Sirius followed Peter to a trap door near the knot of the tree. Sirius managed to open the trap door with his nose and Gabrielle followed after them as soon as she felt safe. She swooped down to the ground and in one smooth movement she turned into a white horse with a blonde main, and a tiara shaped golden patch of fur on her head that was there because of the costume she was wearing. She galloped to the trap door and entered a damp tunnel, but was forced to turn back when she heard steps coming her way. She was gone in a swoosh of her tail and galloped towards the forbidden forest, which was right outside the school grounds, and not far from the whomping willow. Once she found a hiding place, she saw James, Sirius and Peter getting out of the tunnel, still in their animal forms. She wondered why they even came here. Then, without warning, she saw a werewolf in a torn up school uniform come out of the tunnel. She put two and two together. Lupin is a Werewolf! 


	28. trustworthy?

It all made sense. He was always absent on full moons, James, Sirius and peter learned to be amigi so they could be with him and as she learned last year, a boggart always turned into a big yellow orb when it came into contact with him. She looked more closely to try to prove to herself that it was true, and she was happy to know what was going on. She watched them, they were heading for the lake, but Gabrielle heard "Gabrielle Orwood where are you?" It was Shannon, and Jamie. Shannon had come out to get Gabrielle inside, and Jamie had come to get Shannon inside. She looked back and saw them walking towards her, then looked back to Lupin. She knew how werewolves got when it was a full moon. They craved to bite humans, and Shannon and Jamie were in grave danger. She ran over to Shannon and Jamie and managed to let them know it was she when Jamie recognized her eyes. She motioned for them to ride her. They got on quickly, while Lupin was tearing towards them, and James and Sirius were trying to get him away from them. Gabrielle galloped away, with Jamie holding onto her neck, and Shannon with her arms around Jamie, clinging on for dear life. They sped towards the greenhouses. She heard a howl from behind, and sped even faster past the greenhouses, and to the door of the magical creatures room. When they got to the door, Jamie got off of Gabrielle's back, her legs sore. Shannon couldn't move, she was so sore from the ride she had on a horse, bareback. Jamie pulled her off of the horse best she could, but Shannon fell on top of her. Gabrielle hesitated but turned into her human self and helped them both up. She saw Lupin, and his two friends trying to stop him. She pulled them too the door, and got the two girls in before slamming the door in front of the opened jaws of Lupin. She leaned against the door, breathing deeply and locked it. She slid down onto the floor, panting and sweating. Shannon was nursing her sore legs, and Jamie sat next to Shannon, looking at Gabrielle. "What just happened?" Jamie asked, she waited until Gabrielle stopped panting.  
  
"I believe we were just chased by a werewolf, while a dog and a stag tried to stop him." There was nothing else to say. The three girls sat on the floor of the Magical creatures room, still recuperating. Gabrielle started helping Shannon and Jamie with their sore legs. She picked up some healing spells when she was in the hospital wing. Right after she told Shannon the spell she learned there was a knock on the door. She turned her head to face the door. She made the wooden part of it invisible, in order to see who was behind it because it could have still been Lupin. The door was a lot easier to make invisible than a person would be because wood is not as complex as a human being. Behind it, she saw James in his human form, knocking on the door. He stopped knocking when the door became invisible. He looked at Gabrielle. She opened the door.  
  
"Where's Lupin?"  
  
"Um."  
  
"I know about the tree, and the tunnel." she said, but he hushed her because he didn't want Jamie and Shannon knowing. The girls were to confused to understand what was going on from her vague description. He took her outside while Shannon and Jamie watched. They shrugged, they weren't nearly as curious people as Gabrielle was. James took the invisibility charm off of the door, and Gabrielle looked up at him.  
  
"Why did you bring them out?"  
  
"I didn-"  
  
"Why did you follow us?" he snapped, without letting her speak.  
  
"Are you crazy? I didn't bring them out with me; I knew it wouldn't be safe for them. And you cant blame me for being curious. Your just bad a keeping secrets, and your mad at me for knowing yours." She exploded. He laughed, but it wasn't a pleasant laugh.  
  
"They found out, and their going to want to know why they have been chased by a werewolf!" he said.  
  
"Yes, i know, but you cant point fingers at me!" she said. "You were the one who decided to go see him when everyone was up and about!"  
  
"Well?" he said, "What are we going to do?" he snarled.  
  
"I trust them, why cant you." He didn't answer. She turned to go back inside. 


	29. forgivenss

She lay on her bed, covers underneath her body. The window over her head let in a cool breeze. She was horribly tired, but couldn't sleep because her mind was full of thoughts that she could not answer. Her heart was troubled, but was slightly soothed by the faint sound of singing by woodland fairies that sang that night. It was a rare, because they normally lived far from the school, and deep in the forest. Their sweet voices flew in with the cool breeze, but did not soothe her as much as they soothed Shannon and Jamie, for they didn't had a fight with someone they cared about earlier. They had no fight with James, but Gabrielle did, and regretted it. All the other fights were not like this one. They didn't actually get angery at eachother in the others, they only had different opinions. Gabrielle lay on her side, in her flannel pajamas. The front was unbuttoned, and underneath was a white t-shirt.   
  
She did blame herself, and she was beating herself up over it. She decided she wouldn't think about it, in a couple of hours it would be morning, and hopefully then she could straiten the whole thing out. She got out of bed, and did what she normally did when she couldn't sleep. She would wander around the Gryffindor Common room clutching onto her pillow. She almost fell out of bed from her extreme fatigue, but was glad to fall on something soft.  
  
She walked past Jamie and Shannon, who were both sound asleep, soothed by lullabies sung by the Fairies outside. She looked at them, wishing she were in the same position. She walked on, and into the hallway and down the stairs into the common room. There was a single light lit in that room. it was a candle on a silver candleholder that was placed on a table near a sofa. She walked towards it, curious. Suddenly, she tripped forward, and fell behind the sofa with a big thud that made the candle flicker. The pillow was thrown into the air, and landed near the wall. She lay, with her stomach on the floor. She had tripped on the edge of a rug. She turned over on her back to see James's brown eyes. She groaned and closed her eyes; this was not a good time for him to see her like this. She opened them when she felt him brush up against her. He helped her sit up.  
  
"You alrigh'?" he asked quietly, and without any eye contact.  
  
"I'm sorry," she blurted out, it was very off topic, but She couldn't have them angry at each other any longer. He smiled at her. He helped her up without saying a word. He sat down on the couch; and looked into the flame of the candle. Gabrielle sat at the opposite end of the couch, and looked at James. He hadn't answered her yet, and she wanted to know what he would make of her apology.  
  
"It wasn't your fault they came after us." He said, referring to Shannon and Jamie. It looked like that was hard to say, so she didn't say a word in return , but she was thinking 'I told you so!'  
  
"I just hope your right about trusting them with this." He stared into the candle's flame.  
He looked at Gabrielle after a while. She was wearing the same pajamas that he was, except she had green stripes on hers, instead of the deep blue he had. They were the same size thought. He noticed Gabrielle tended to like things that were way too long for her: the sleeves and the pant legs bunched up at the end. She was surprised that James had admitted she was right; normally he was too bigheaded to notice he was wrong. She tried looking understanding and refrained from saying anything. "i apologized and you wont even say something?" he said, Gabrielle laughed. "Well I tried hard not to tell you 'I told you so,' so you should be happy I dint speak up." "Maybe you're right, don't start now." Gabrielle was about to speak her mind (which would be EXCUSDE ME????? NOT TALK? ARE YOU CRAZY??) But was incapable when he kissed her, and when he leaned back she said "clever." After a while of talking Gabrielle started yawning, and when she did yawn, it would be right when she was in the middle of saying something. It made James laugh, and made Gabrielle's ears turn red from embarrassment. Soon James made the point that she should go back to her room. She got up to go back to her room without questioning. She stretched and yawned again and moved her heavy feet back to her dormitory. She looked back and smiled at James who was watching her leave. She yawned big again and James laughed. She walked up the stairs. She saw Jamie and Shannon still sleeping, just as they were a while ago. She could still hear the sound of the singing fairies. She lay in her bed and noticed she left the pillow she pulled her wand out from the other pillow she had and whispered "accio pillow!" 


	30. aurgghhh we'll get those Slytherins!

"WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD!!!!!" the envelope yelled in her ear. She smothered it with her pillow, and it wiggled to get out furiously. Then it turned to a pile of red ashes on her bed. She fell back into her comfortable bed. Jamie and Shannon hollered to get her up. She did only when Shannon turned on the radio extremely loud. Only then did She rub her eyes and lift up her limp body. She put on her quidditch robes, and walked out the door after Shannon and Jamie with her broom rested on her shoulder. She walked down to the quidditch pitch with them, talking about the ball. Gabrielle took the time to ask them to keep it quiet about Lupin, thinking of James. They agreed to keep it a secret without hesitation. Gabrielle smiled from relief. They came onto the field. Williams was there, waiting eagerly for the team. "You know, I'm really l running out of ways of catching that letter and stifling the noise every time we have practice." Gabrielle said to him when they came near. Williams ignored her comment and waited for the rest of the team to arrive. When they did, he announced. "I have a whole new training session planned!" Everyone groaned but Gabby. She woke up while waiting for the rest of the team, and was now as energetic as she normally was. She stood up, jumping in place energetically. Most rolled their eyes and smiled at her, but James tripped her. The team howled with laughter, and laughed even more when Gabrielle ran after James with her broom. She attempted to hit him over the head with it. She gave up and put one foot on the end of her broom and rose into the air. When she got up high enough she swung her leg over the side of the broom and swerved around to look at Williams from above. Shannon had the quaffle and threw it up to her. Gabrielle caught it with both hands and steered with her knees for a while. Then everyone did William's new drills. Everyone was exhausted at the end of the practice, and plopped down on the grass at the end. She loved the feeling of her muscles burning after playing quidditch. Shannon and Jamie plopped down beside her, and They lay on a cool grass for a while talking, and giggling. Williams soon got everyone's attention and announced  
"Slytherin will play Hufflepuff soon, and unless Hufflepuffs' team become good over the summer we will probably be playing Slytherin after Christmas. And the Slytherins will be a challenge." Gabrielle yelled aloud,  
"arghhh well get those Slytherins!" like a pirate would. She yelled it so loud it sounded over William's voice. Everyone cheered, and Gabrielle laughed loudly looking up from her spot on the ground, in between Shannon and Jamie. Soon, they walked up to the school. No other team had practice that day. "Williams is the only one that treats us like dogs." Jamie pointed out, saying it right when Williams was in front of her. He turned around and said "Practice makes perfect." The girls shook their heads disapprovingly They walked back to the dormitories and changed. Now not only was Gabrielle energetic, Shannon and Jamie were too. It seemed to ware off on them. They spent the rest of the day fooling around, and laughing uncontrollably. The music of Shannon's radio played all day long. Gabrielle still thought about Morgian, wondering how her night had been, and hoping she wasn't with Stephan. 


End file.
